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[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,"
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Did they release any more albums after this one? | 5 | Did All Time Low release any more albums after Put Up or Shut Up EP? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | Formed | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"LaShell Renee Griffin (born January 14, 1968 as LaShell Renee Thomas) is an American gospel musician. Her first album, Free, was released by Epic Records in 2004. This was a Billboard magazine breakthrough release upon four charts, The Billboard 200, Gospel Albums, R&B Albums, and Heatseekers Albums. She released two more subsequent albums, but they have not placed on any charts.\n\nEarly life\nGriffin was born on January 14, 1968, as LaShell Renee Thomas, to mother Geraldine, whose maiden name was Mundy, and she won Oprah Winfrey's singing competition, Pop Star Challenge. This got her a record deal with Epic Records.\n\nMusic career\nHer music recording career commenced in 2004, with the album, Free, and it was released by Epic Records on May 25, 2004. The album was her breakthrough release upon four Billboard magazine charts, and it placed on The Billboard 200 at No. 166, Gospel Albums at No. 2, R&B Albums at No. 43, and Heatseekers Albums at No. 5. While she has released two more albums, they have failed to gain any commercial traction or achieve any national exposure.\n\nPersonal life\nGriffin and her now deceased former husband, LeVoties Griffin, has five children together, and she still resides with them in Detroit, Michigan.\n\nDiscography\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Cross Rhythms artist profile\n\n1968 births\nLiving people\nAfrican-American songwriters\nAfrican-American Christians\nMusicians from Detroit\nSongwriters from Michigan\nEpic Records artists\n21st-century African-American people\n20th-century African-American people",
"World Famous Classics: 1993–1998 is the first of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Sony BMG in 1999 two weeks after the release of The Beatnuts' most commercially successful album, A Musical Massacre. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first three albums, as well as its two EPs. The album does not feature any exclusive songs. World Famous Classics did not chart upon release, and is currently out of print.\n\nTrack listing\n\nReferences\n\nThe Beatnuts albums\n1999 greatest hits albums"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed"
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | How well did So wrong its right do on the charts? | 6 | How well did All Time Low's album "So wrong it's right" do on the charts after Formed? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | false | [
"\"So Wrong\" is a song written by Carl Perkins, Danny Dill and Mel Tillis and popularized by country music artist Patsy Cline. The song was released as a single on Decca Records in 1962 by Patsy Cline.\n\nBackground\nPatsy Cline was best known for her string of Country and Pop ballads like \"I Fall to Pieces\", \"Crazy\" and \"She's Got You\". By 1962, Cline was already successful on both the Country and Pop singles charts. Her first hit that year was the song \"She's Got You\". After that, Cline released a string of hits, including \"So Wrong\". \"So Wrong\" was released in mid-1962 as a Decca 45 single, 31406, b/w \"You're Stronger Than Me\", and became a Billboard Top 20 Country Hit, reaching #14. Its success on the Pop charts was not as successful as her previous hits, reaching #85 on the Pop charts. The song was released as a single in Canada on Decca and on Brunswick in the UK, 45-05874. The song was also released as a 45 single in New Zealand on Festival Records as FK-253 as a B side and as part of a picture sleeve 45 EP.\n\nCline uses her emotionally expressive voice in this song, as she did with many other hits. The song initially talks about how someone was wrong towards their lover. They regret how wrong they were for letting their lover go, and express how much they miss them.\n\nThe song appeared originally on the 1962 EP So Wrong/You're Stronger Than Me and was featured on the 1963 The Patsy Cline Story collection and the Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits album in 1967, which would sell over 10 million copies and be certified a Diamond album, one of the all-time best-selling country albums.\n\nCline performed the song live in 1963 on the Pet Milk TV program.\n\n\"So Wrong\" was featured on an episode of CSI.\n\nEnid Cohen, Jessi Alexander, Pam Tillis on the 2002 album It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis, Mandy Barnett on the 2011 album Sweet Dreams, and Terri Simpson have covered the song.\n\nChart performance\n\nReferences\n\nSources\nPerkins, Carl, and David McGee. Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, The King of Rockabilly. Hyperion Press, 1996, pages 253-254. \nMorrison, Craig. Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers. University of Illinois Press,\nBego, Mark. I Fall to Pieces: The Music and the Life of Patsy Cline. Adams Media Corporation.\nHazen, Cindy and Mike Freeman. Love Always, Patsy. The Berkley Publishing Group.\nJones, Margaret (1998). \"Patsy Cline\". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 98–9.\nNassour, Ellis. Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline. St. Martins Press.\nWolff, Kurt. Country Music: The Rough Guide. Penguin Publishing.\n\nExternal links\nMel Tillis interview\n\n1962 songs\nPatsy Cline songs\nSongs written by Carl Perkins\nSongs written by Mel Tillis\nSongs written by Danny Dill\nSong recordings produced by Owen Bradley\nDecca Records singles\n1962 singles",
"{{Infobox song\n| name = If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)\n| cover =\n| alt =\n| type = single\n| artist = Vern Gosdin\n| album = If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)\n| B-side = Favorite Fool of All\n| released = February 12, 1983\n| recorded =\n| studio =\n| venue =\n| genre = Country\n| length = 3:18\n| label = Compleat\n| writer = Vern Gosdin, Max D. Barnes\n| producer = Blake Mevis\n| prev_title = Friday Night Feelin'| prev_year = 1983\n| next_title = Way Down Deep\n| next_year = 1983\n}}\n\"If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)'\" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Vern Gosdin. It was released in February 1983 as the first single and title track from the album If Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right). The song reached #5 on the Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Gosdin wrote the song with Max D. Barnes.\n\nThe song entered the charts at the same week as Gosdin's last single for AMI Records, \"Friday Night Feelin'\". That song charted at number 49 and was never included on an album. Kelly Lang covered the song; her version was released as a single to country radio on March 10, 2014.\n\nChart performance\n\nReferences\n\n1983 singles\n1983 songs\nVern Gosdin songs\nSongs written by Max D. Barnes\nSongs written by Vern Gosdin"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart."
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Did any of their singles reach the billboards? | 7 | Did any of All Time Low's singles reach the billboards? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | false | [
"\"It's Almost Tomorrow\" is a 1955 popular song with music by Gene Adkinson and lyrics by Wade Buff. The song was actually written in 1953, when Adkinson and Buff were in high school. Hit versions were released in 1955 by The Dream Weavers, Jo Stafford, David Carroll, and Snooky Lanson.\n\nThe song reached No. 6 on the Cash Box Top 50, in a tandem ranking of The Dream Weavers, Jo Stafford, David Carroll, Snooky Lanson, and Lawrence Welk's versions, with The Dream Weavers and Jo Stafford's versions marked as bestsellers, while reaching No. 4 on Cash Boxs chart of \"The Nation's Top Ten Juke Box Tunes\", in the same tandem ranking. The song also reached No. 4 on Billboards Honor Roll of Hits, with The Dream Weavers and Jo Stafford's versions listed as best sellers.\n\nThe song was ranked No. 36 on Billboards ranking of \"1956's Top Tunes\", based on the Honor Roll of Hits.\n\nThe Dream Weavers version\nThe Dream Weavers, a singing group including writers Adkinson and Buff, recorded the most successful version of the song for Decca Records (catalog number 29683). Their version first charted in Billboard on November 12, 1955, and reached No. 7 on Billboards chart of Most Played in Juke Boxes, No. 8 on Billboards Top 100, No. 8 on Billboards chart of Best Sellers in Stores, No. 10 on Billboards chart of Most Played by Jockeys, and No. 9 on Cash Boxs chart of \"The Ten Records Disk Jockeys Played Most This Week\". The Dream Weavers' version also reached No. 1 on the UK's New Musical Express chart.\n\nJo Stafford version\n\nJo Stafford also released a hit version of the song in 1955 (Columbia Records catalog number 40595). Stafford's version reached No. 14 on Billboards chart of Most Played in Juke Boxes, No. 19 on Billboards Top 100, No. 25 on Billboards chart of Best Sellers in Stores, and No. 20 on Billboards chart of Most Played by Jockeys.\n\nOther versions\nSnooky Lanson released a version of the song in 1955, which reached No. 20 on Billboards Top 100, No. 20 on Billboards chart of Most Played in Juke Boxes, and No. 20 on Billboards chart of Most Played by Jockeys.\n\nDavid Carroll released a version of the song in 1955, with vocals by the Jack Halloran Singers. Carroll's version reached No. 20 on Billboards chart of Most Played by Jockeys, and No. 34 on Billboards Top 100.\n\nIn the UK, the song was covered by Mark Wynter in November 1963. It was released by Pye Records as catalogue number 7N15577. His cover version peaked at No. 12 on the UK's Record Retailer chart.\n\nRonnie Dove recorded the song for his One Kiss for Old Times' Sake album for Diamond Records in 1965.\n\nJimmy Velvet released a version in 1965, which reached No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 29 on Billboards Easy Listening chart.\n\nSee also\nList of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1950s\n\nReferences\n\n1955 singles\nJo Stafford songs\nBrunswick Records singles\nColumbia Records singles\nDecca Records singles\nDot Records singles\nMercury Records singles\nUK Singles Chart number-one singles\n1953 songs\n1950s ballads",
"\"Over the Mountain; Across the Sea\" is a song written by Rex Garvin. The song was a hit for Johnnie & Joe in 1957 and Bobby Vinton in 1963.\n\n\"Over the Mountain; Across the Sea\" was originally released by Johnnie & Joe in 1957. Johnnie & Joe's version reached No. 8 on Billboards \"Top 100 Sides\" chart, No. 3 on Billboards chart of \"R&B Best Sellers in Stores\", and No. 6 on Billboards chart of \"Most Played R&B by Jockeys\".\n\nBobby Vinton released a cover of the song in 1963. Vinton's version spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 21, while reaching No. 8 on Billboards Middle-Road Singles chart, and No. 2 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade.\n\nSkip & Flip released a version of the song as the B-side to their 1962 single \"One More Drink for Julie\".\n\nIn popular culture \nThe Bobby Vinton cover of the song features at the beginning of the 2021 film, Godzilla vs. Kong.\n\nReferences\n\n1957 songs\n1957 singles\n1963 singles\nBobby Vinton songs\nSkip & Flip songs\nChess Records singles\nEpic Records singles\nSongs written by Rex Garvin"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart.",
"Did any of their singles reach the billboards?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Did they have any bad habits? | 8 | Did All Time Low have any bad habits? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"A bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern.\n\nBad Habits may also refer to:\n\nFilm and television\n Bad Habits (2007 film), a Mexican film\n Bad Habits (2009 film), an Australian horror film\n \"Bad Habits\" (The Bill), a television episode\n \"Bad Habits\" (Pushing Daisies), a television episode\n\nMusic\n\nArtists\n Bad Habits (band), a British rock/punk/metal band\n\nAlbums\n Bad Habits (Billy Field album) or the title song, 1981\n Bad Habits (Colin James album) or the title song, 1995\n Bad Habits (Every Avenue album), 2011\n Bad Habits (The Monks album) or the title song, 1979\n Bad Habits (Nav album), 2019\n\nSongs\n \"Bad Habits\" (Ed Sheeran song), 2021\n \"Bad Habits\" (Jenny Burton song), 1985\n \"Bad Habits\" (Maxwell song), 2009\n \"Bad Habits\" (The Last Shadow Puppets song), 2016\n \"Bad Habits\" (Usher song), 2020\n \"Bad Habits\", by Between the Buried and Me from Colors II, 2021\n \"Bad Habits\", by Billy Field, 1981\n \"Bad Habits\", by Brass Knuckles, 2012\n \"Bad Habits\", by Cravity from Season 3. Hideout: Be Our Voice, 2020\n \"Bad Habits\", by Danny Jones, 2019\n \"Bad Habits\", by Delaney Jane, 2018\n \"Bad Habits\", by Dune Rats from Hurry Up and Wait, 2020\n \"Bad Habits\", by General Fiasco from Unfaithfully Yours, 2012\n \"Bad Habits\", by Kottonmouth Kings from Fire It Up, 2004\n \"Bad Habits\", by Noga Erez, 2018\n \"Bad Habits\", by Shaun, 2019\n \"Bad Habits\", by Silverstein from A Beautiful Place to Drown, 2020\n \"Bad Habits\", by Thin Lizzy from Thunder and Lightning, 1983\n\nOther media\n Bad Habits (play), a 1974 play by Terrence McNally\n Bad Habits, a 2008 BBC Radio 4 show featuring Richard Herring\n Bad Habits, a 2006 collection of the comic strip The Duplex by Glenn McCoy\n \"Bad Habits\", a short story by Joyce Carol Oates in her 2007 collection The Museum of Dr. Moses\n\nSee also\n \n Bad Habit (disambiguation)\n Habit (disambiguation)",
"A bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern. Common examples include: procrastination, overspending and \nnail-biting.\n\nDevelopment\nResearch on habit formation generally suggests an individual can acquire a new habit on average over 66 days. This process is marked by an asymptomatic increase of the behavior, with the initial acceleration slowing to a plateau after the said time period. There are several variations regarding the period of development. The time to break a bad habit or change an unhealthy behavioral pattern such as smoking may take longer.\n\nWill and intention\nA key factor in distinguishing a bad habit from an addiction or mental disease is the element of willpower. If a person still seems to have control over the behavior then it is just a habit. Good intentions are able to override the negative effect of bad habits but their effect seems to be independent and additive — the bad habits remain but are subdued rather than canceled.\n\nPrevention\nThe best time to correct a bad habit is immediately, before it becomes established. So, bad habits are best prevented from developing in childhood.\n\nCure\nThere are many techniques for removing bad habits once they have become established. One good one is to go for between 21 and 28 days try as hard as possible not to give in to the habit then rewarding yourself at the end of it. Then try to go a week, if the habit remains repeat the process, this method is proven to have a high success rate.\n\nSee also\n Addiction\n Habit\n Habitus\n Obsession\n Sin\n Vice\n\nReferences\n\nHabits\nLearning\n\nja:悪癖"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart.",
"Did any of their singles reach the billboards?",
"I don't know.",
"Did they have any bad habits?",
"Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined"
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Did they ever collaborate with any other bands to perform? | 9 | Did All Time Low ever collaborate with any other bands besides to perform? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"An Internet band, also called an online band, is a musical group whose members collaborate online through broadband by utilizing a content management system and local digital audio workstations. The work is sometimes released under a Creative Commons license, so musicians can share their \"samples\" to create collaborative musical expressions for noncommercial purposes without ever meeting face to face.\n\nHistory\n\nCathedral \nIn March 1996, Nora Farrell and William Duckworth began to develop Cathedral, one of the first interactive works of music and art on the World Wide Web. Their aim was to create an interactive website with web-based musical instruments that anyone could play. Also in the preliminary stages of the system, they determined that they wanted to make a place on the Web for acoustic music through a series of live webcasts and performances online.\n\nIn June 1997, Cathedral went live online. The first build of this system included streaming audio, streaming video, animation, images, and text. At the time, there were fewer than one million sites on the World Wide Web and fewer than 2% of those made any sounds.\n\nAccording to the creators of Cathedral, their goals at that point were:\n To create an imaginative, ongoing artistic experience that builds community.\n To blur the distinctions that separate composers, performers, and audiences.\n To offer each individual listener the ability to create his or her own unique work online.\nBy 2003, Cathedral consisted of three primary components:\n A website that featured a variety of interactive musical, artistic, and text-based experiences.\n A group of virtual instruments that allowed listeners to participate actively and creatively.\n An Internet band that gave periodic live performances and offered listeners focused moments in which to come together and play music in community online.\n\nCurrent scenario\nSocial networking sites have gained a large number of users because many aspects of society revolve around computers and the Internet. The music industry itself has undergone this change as well. People are using iTunes, YouTube and MySpace Music to share the music and communicate with others. Adaptively, artists and record labels can utilize Web sites and file sharing sites to spread their music. Musicians who use the Internet can also form bands online.\n\nInternet bands became popular in the early 2000s when music technology, file sharing and collaboration software became more prevalent on the Internet. While the extent of collaboration between bands may vary, an Internet band identifies as a band whose members collaborate on music projects via the Internet.\n\nA growing number of websites offer people the opportunity to compose music online. They marry social networking with music mixing and uploading technology. Users decide what projects they wish to add their special touches to and how actively they want to get involved.\n\nAdvantages\nThe advantages of joining an online band include the ability to collaborate with musicians, vocalists, audio engineers, etc. who reside in any part of the world with Internet access. Also, since many online bands do not perform or record in \"real-time\", it allows members to record their track (their part of a collaboration) at their leisure.\n\nEducation through online music collaboration \nIn addition to setting a platform to creatively collaborate with other musicians, online music collaboration gives opportunities to educators and students that were not possible before its conception. This platform provides an alternative to the traditional 1:1 music lesson, but its effectiveness on a higher scale is questionable.\n\nResearch conducted in 2007 at Boston University led by musicologist and comparative educationist David G. Hebert provided five key challenges for online music education programs:\n Prejudice regarding the legitimacy of online degrees\n Coordination between distance education and music departments\n Pressure to maximize profits at the expense of educational quality\n Management of adjunct music instructors\n Management of student behavior and provision of student services\nTo address these challenges, Hebert pointed out the importance of expert mentors, outstanding research theses completed online, a strong record of graduate job placement from online programs, detailed planning between instructors and music departments, and the implementation of assessment moderation systems.\n\nCollaboration\nOnline music collaboration is an Internet-based system designed to help coordinate online music projects. Most platforms provide a virtual space to upload recorded music files, a community forum where members can offer feedback or make alterations to the uploaded music.\n\nEach musician usually needs to record to a click track or metronome and upload the instrument or vocals for the song independently. Then a designated Internet music producer can edit for timing and tightness between all tracks, arrange, optimize and mix all instruments together and do a final mastering process to get a complete song out of single tracks.\n\nRelated phenomenon \nInternet-based music collaboration can be done by individuals who never form one permanent band. The Playing for Change Foundation is a musical charity that releases music recorded by musicians from all around the globe, only some of whom have gone on to play together live. Even more decentralized collaboration happens between YouTube users; one Cracked columnist praised the cover of the Game of Thrones theme performed by violinist Jason Yang and guitarist and sound engineer Roger Lima and directed by Paolo Dy.\n\nExamples of Internet bands\n subatomicglue was one of the first internet bands, forming in the late 1990s.\n The ClipBandits, known as \"the first Internet band\", collaborated without ever having met each other, were featured on ABC World News and Good Morning America, and ultimately met and performed on the Tyra Banks Show.\n Infant Annihilator; a three-member deathcore band; two instrumentalists living in Kingston upon Hull, UK and vocalist living in Florida, US. Their original vocalist was from Indiana, US and recorded his vocals for their debut album without ever meeting the other two members.\n Red Abbott; a Boston based band that collaborated exclusively through email on their debut album.\n Superorganism's members originally met up in online forums and through mutuals before eventually meeting up in real life.\n\nSee also\n Virtual band\n\nReferences\n\nTypes of musical groups\n \nVirtual communities\nMusical terminology\nComputer-mediated communication",
"Sam Taylor is an American rock record producer. Taylor got his start working as a video producer with ZZ Top. He went on to produce and manage several Houston, Texas area rock bands, such as King's X, Galactic Cowboys, and Atomic Opera. After breaking off his relationship with those bands, he later returned to produce the Third Day album Conspiracy No. 5, and also to collaborate with longtime friend and cellist Max Dyer on a project called Moons of Jupiter.\n\nReferences\n\nLiving people\nAmerican record producers\nYear of birth missing (living people)\nPlace of birth missing (living people)"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart.",
"Did any of their singles reach the billboards?",
"I don't know.",
"Did they have any bad habits?",
"Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined",
"Did they ever collaborate with any other bands to perform?",
"In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen."
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Any other people? | 10 | Any other people other than Chris Cortilello, Rian Dawson and Ihle in All Time Low? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"\"By Any Other Name\" is a second-season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.\n\nBy Any Other Name may also refer to:\n\n By Any Other Name, a short story collection by Spider Robinson\n A novella by the same author, expanded into the novel Telempath\n \"By Any Other Name\", a short story by Santha Rama Rau\n \"By Any Other Name\", an episode of the British television series Holby City (series 5)\n By Any Other Name (album), a Future Sound of London compilation release\n \"By Any Other Name\", a song by Holman Autry Band\n\nSee also\n Bi Any Other Name, a 1991 anthology of works by bisexual authors\n \"Any Other Name\", a song by Thomas Newman, used in the movie American Beauty",
"Any Other Way may refer to:\n\n\"Any Other Way\", song by William Bell (singer), W. Bell, 1962, covered by Jackie Shane and Chuck Jackson\n\"Any Other Way\", song by B.B. King, C. Otis, from Guess Who (album)\n\"Any Other Way\", song by The Zombies from Breathe Out, Breathe In\n\"Any Other Way\", song by We The Kings from Somewhere Somehow (album)\n\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\", a 1990 song by Celine Dion from Unison"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart.",
"Did any of their singles reach the billboards?",
"I don't know.",
"Did they have any bad habits?",
"Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined",
"Did they ever collaborate with any other bands to perform?",
"In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen.",
"Any other people?",
"They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's."
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Were there any other people? | 11 | Were there any other people in addition to Chris Cortilello, Rian Dawson and Ihle in All Time Low? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion. It was included on her first English-language album, Unison (1990). \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" was released by Columbia Records as the album's lead single in Canada on 26 March 1990. The next year, it was issued as the second single in other countries. The song was written by Paul Bliss, while production was handled by Christopher Neil.\n\nAfter its release, \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" received positive reviews from music critics. The song peaked at number 23 in Canada and number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, it became a success on the adult contemporary charts, reaching number eight in the United States and number 12 in Canada. Two accompanying music videos for the song were filmed. Dion performed \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" during her Unison Tour (1990–91).\n\nBackground and release\nIn 1990, Dion was preparing to issue her first English-language album, Unison. After releasing various French-language albums in Canada and France in the '80s, she recorded new English songs in London, Los Angeles and New York. At first, Unison was released in Canada, and \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" was chosen as its lead single. Written by British musician, Paul Bliss, and produced by British record producer, Christopher Neil, it was issued on 26 March 1990.\n\nOne year later on 18 March 1991, \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" was released as the second single in the United States after \"Where Does My Heart Beat Now\". For the US market the single was remixed by Walter Afanasieff. This US version features a different audio mix from the Canadian single version and the album version: reverb has been applied throughout (most noticeably to Dion's vocal track), the guitars have been rebalanced so that they are less audible in some places in the song and more prominent in others, the drum track features \"rimshot\" effects during the chorus, additional synthesizer lines have been overdubbed onto the existing keyboard track (most noticeably in the bar before the instrumental break), and the fadeout has been slightly extended in length. It was also used in the American music video of the song that year. Additionally \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" was remixed by Daniel Abraham, a French record producer living in New York. His dance remixes appeared on a promotional US single.\n\n\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" was also released as a single in selected European countries, Australia, and Japan in June 1991.\n\nCritical reception\nAllMusic's senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine picked the song as an album standout along with \"Where Does My Heart Beat Now\". Larry Flick from Billboard noted that Dion \"continues to soar\" with a \"spirited, up-tempo\" song. He complimented the \"crystalline production and shimmering backup vocal support combined with a passionate lead performance\". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote about the song: \"Nothing like witnessing the growth and development of a genuine artist. Celine definitely falls into that category, capturing the hearts of Americans the way she's been doing in her native Canada for the past several years. Switching from torch song to snappy rhythm affords listeners an opportunity to hear another side of this wonderful talent\". Music & Media noted that \"talented Canadian chanteuse enters the Whitney Houston racket\" and described it as \"satisfying AC pop.\" Christopher Smith from TalkAboutPopMusic described it as a \"pop-soft rock mid tempo number\".\n\nCommercial performance\nIn Canada \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" entered the RPM Top Singles chart on 31 March 1990 and peaked at number twenty-three on 9 June 1990. The song also entered the RPM Adult Contemporary chart on 24 March 1990 and reached number twelve there. In the United States \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, dated 6 April 1991, and peaked at number thirty-five on 1 June 1991. The track also entered Billboards Adult Contemporary chart dated 30 March 1991, reaching number eight.\n\nMusic video\nThere were two music videos made for the song. The first one was directed by Derek Case and released in March 1990 for the Canadian market. The second one was filmed for the US market in Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was directed by Dominic Orlando and premiered in March 1991. The two videos were included separately on Dion's 1991 home video Unison, depending on the Canadian or US release.\n\nLive performances\nDion performed \"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" on a few Canadian television shows in 1990. She also sang it on the Canadian/US variety show, Super Dave and performed it in Norway in 1991. It was included in her Unison Tour as well.\n\nTrack listings and formatsAustralian 7\", cassette, CD / Canadian 7\" single\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" – 3:59\n\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" (Instrumental) – 3:59Canadian cassette / European 3\", 7\" / Japanese 3\" single\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" – 3:59\n\"I'm Loving Every Moment With You\" – 4:08European 12\", CD single\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" – 3:59\n\"I'm Loving Every Moment With You\" – 4:08\n\"If We Could Start Over\" – 4:23US 7\" single\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" – 3:59\n\"Where Does My Heart Beat Now\" – 4:33US cassette single\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" (Walter Afanasieff Remix) – 4:13\n\"Where Does My Heart Beat Now\" – 4:33US promotional CD single'\n\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" (Daniel Abraham's 7\" Remix) – 3:54\n\"(If There Was) Any Other Way\" (Daniel Abraham's 12\" Remix) – 5:39\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nCredits and personnel\nRecording\nRecorded at West Side Studios, London\n\nPersonnel\nCeline Dion – lead and backing vocals\nChristopher Neil – producer, backing vocals\nPhil Palmer – guitars\nPaul Bliss – songwriter, drums, keyboard programming, backing vocals\nSimon Hurrell – engineer\nWalter Afanasieff – additional producer, keyboards, percussion (Remix only)\nDaniel Abraham – additional producer (Dance Remix only)\n\nRelease history\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\n1990 singles\n1990 songs\nCeline Dion songs\nColumbia Records singles\nDance-pop songs\nEpic Records singles\nSong recordings produced by Christopher Neil",
"Laureldale is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,911 at the 2010 census.\n\nGeography\nLaureldale is at (40.389293, -75.914150).\n\nAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.\n\nDemographics\n\nAt the 2010 census there were 3,911 people living in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 86.8% White, 2.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 6.8% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.1%.\n\nAt the 2000 census there were 3,759 people, 1,636 households, and 1,073 families living in the borough. The population density was 4,618.7 people per square mile (1,791.8/km²). There were 1,685 housing units at an average density of 2,070.4 per square mile (803.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.90% White, 0.74% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.43%.\n\nThere were 1,636 households, 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.2% of households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.80.\n\nThe age distribution was 20.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.\n\nThe median household income was $42,951 and the median family income was $48,846. Males had a median income of $37,650 versus $24,924 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,522. About 0.9% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.\n\nGallery\n\nReferences\n\nPopulated places established in 1930\nBoroughs in Berks County, Pennsylvania"
]
|
[
"All Time Low",
"2007-08: So Wrong, It's Right",
"What was \"So Wrong, It's Right\"?",
"All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right",
"Did they any another album's?",
"The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.",
"What another album's did they release?",
"released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July.",
"When did they release this one?",
"2006,",
"Did they release any more albums after this one?",
"Formed",
"How well did So wrong its right do on the charts?",
"It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart.",
"Did any of their singles reach the billboards?",
"I don't know.",
"Did they have any bad habits?",
"Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined",
"Did they ever collaborate with any other bands to perform?",
"In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen.",
"Any other people?",
"They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.",
"Were there any other people?",
"In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender."
]
| C_0fd9a62a282441e1873e80a5a9ce7595_1 | Any other tours the went on? | 12 | Any other tours the All Time Low band went on other than first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour? | All Time Low | Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005. In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12. All Time Low began a busy tour in support the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album. In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's. All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments. In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue. In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue. CANNOTANSWER | From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; | All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, has headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Beginning as a band in high school, All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004 through local label Emerald Moon. Since then the band has released eight studio albums: The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong, It's Right (2007), Nothing Personal (2009), Dirty Work (2011), Don't Panic (2012), Future Hearts (2015), Last Young Renegade (2017), and Wake Up, Sunshine (2020). They released their first live album, Straight to DVD, in 2010, and released their second live album, Straight to DVD II: Past, Present and Future Hearts, on September 9, 2016.
History
2003–2006: Formation and The Party Scene
Formed while still in high school in 2003, All Time Low began covering songs by pop punk bands such as Blink-182. The band's line-up included Alex Gaskarth on vocals, Jack Barakat on guitar, TJ Ihle on lead guitar and backing vocals, Chris Cortilello on bass, and Rian Dawson on drums. Cortilello and Ihle left the band, resulting in the band laying dormant until Zack Merrick joined on bass and Gaskarth picked up guitar. They released a four-song EP in November before signing to Emerald Moon Records in 2004. They released their second EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP later that same year. The band released their debut studio album, The Party Scene, in July 2005.
In December, it was announced that the band was no longer signed, but were attracting attention from a number of record labels. In late 2006, the band performed a showcase for John Janick the founder of record label Fueled by Ramen. They were not signed because Cute Is What We Aim For had recently been taken on by the label, which was not in a position to sign another band at the time. The band was brought to the attention of Hopeless Records by fellow touring band Amber Pacific; on March 28, 2006, it was announced that All Time Low had signed with Hopeless. The band said in an interview that they were starting to get serious about music while in their senior year of high school; following their graduation, the members focused on the group full-time, and released the Put Up or Shut Up EP in July. The EP entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 20 and the Top Heatseekers at No. 12.
All Time Low began a busy tour in support of the EP in late 2006. After the tour, the band began writing material for their second studio album.
2007–2008: So Wrong, It's Right
In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T's.
All Time Low released their second studio album So Wrong, It's Right in September 2007. It peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, "Dear Maria, Count Me In", which was written about a stripper, became the band's first single to reach the charts and peaked at No. 86 on the Pop 100. In 2011, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 shipments.
In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender.
Following the release of So Wrong, It's Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on February 12, 2008. They have also been featured on MTV's Discover and Download and Music Choice's Fresh Crops, and have been added to both MTV's Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On March 7, 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.
In December 2008, All Time Low was named "Band of the Year" by Alternative Press magazine and featured on the cover of their January 2009 issue.
2009–2010: Nothing Personal
In early 2009, All Time Low confirmed in an interview with UK magazine Rock Sound that they had begun writing new material for a third studio album and revealed they had collaborated with artists and producers to help co-write a number of songs.
Although still in the writing process, All Time Low began recording for their new album in January 2009, they finished recording only a month later. The album's lead single "Weightless" was released in March 2009 and became the band's first song to achieve some radio play worldwide. The song was included during the band's appearance at major concert venues, such as Bambooozle in May 2009, to promote the new album.
All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal in July 2009. Before its official release, the full album was made available for streaming download one week earlier through MTV's The Leak.
Billboard magazine predicted that the album "looked like it could" enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, with anywhere between 60,000 and 75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart and sold 63,000 copies, making it the band's highest charting album to date
They played Fall Out Boy's Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band also did a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They headlined Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 through the end of the tour, and then played at Voodoo Experience 2009, which was headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips.
All Time Low completed a European tour in the Fall of 2009, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys. All Time Low also headlined the first The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. It began October 15, 2009, and ran through December 6, 2009.
All Time Low announced in November 2009 that they had been signed to major label Interscope Records. One month later, the band won the "Best Pop Punk Band" at the Top In Rock Awards.
In May 2010, All Time Low released their first live album, entitled Straight to DVD. The CD/DVD was a recording of a show in New York.
All Time Low returned to Ireland & The UK in January and February 2010 as they headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 With The Blackout, My Passion and Young Guns. They played a few mainland Europe shows immediately afterward, mostly in countries they had never been before. All Time Low returned to Australia in February and March to play at Soundwave festival. All Time Low co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June, with Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO, along with numerous supporting bands including Good Charlotte, Forever The Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. All Time Low played the Reading and Leeds Festival 2010 in the UK over the August Bank Holiday. All Time Low headlined the My Small Package Tour in fall 2010, with supporting acts A Rocket to the Moon and City (Comma) State. Halfway during the tour, Before You Exit became a supporting act. On October 24, Storm The Beaches opened on the Baltimore date of the tour.
On March 15, 2010, All Time Low released the song "Painting Flowers" for the album Almost Alice, the soundtrack for the fantasy-adventure film Alice in Wonderland. They then began writing for their fourth studio album, which would also be their major label debut.
2011–2013: Dirty Work and Don't Panic
Demos for the band's album leaked to the web in August 2010. The band later confirmed in an interview which tracks would be on the upcoming album. All Time Low released their fourth studio album almost a year later, titled Dirty Work, in June 2011, after being pushed back from a March release date. The album is currently All Time Low's highest-selling album to date overseas. It earned the album a peak position of No. 13 in Australia and Canada and No. 20 in the UK.
In spring of 2011, All Time Low embarked on the Dirty Work Tour even though the album was not yet released, supported by Yellowcard, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. They were joined by Yellowcard and Young Guns on their UK tour shortly after. All Time Low concluded their summer 2011 tour, "Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour", with opening acts Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Starting Line, Brighter, and The Cab. In September 2011, the band was scheduled to play at Soundwave Revolution in Australia, but the festival was cancelled. All Time Low co-headlined a mini-festival tour, Counter Revolution, in its place. The band finished their fall 2011 tour, "The Rise and Fall Of My Pants Tour" with The Ready Set, He Is We, and Paradise Fears. In Canada, the group toured with Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, and These Kids Wear Crowns.
The band returned to the UK on January 12, 2012. supported by The Maine and We Are The In Crowd and toured until February 4. Several of these dates sold out, so more dates were added. All Time Low also played the Warped Tour (June–August 2012) and the Reading and Leeds Festival (August 2012).
In May 2012, All Time Low left their label Interscope Records and released a new song titled "The Reckless and the Brave" on June 1 via their website as a free download. The band announced that they had been working on a new studio album, due for release sometime in 2012. On July 3, All Time Low announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records again and that the new album would be released in the second half of 2012. On August 10 they announced that their new album, titled Don't Panic would be released October 9 through Hopeless Records. On August 24, a new song titled "For Baltimore" was released through Alternative Press. "Somewhere in Neverland" was released next, peaking in the top 50 on the US iTunes charts.
After the completion of the 2012 Warped Tour, the band announced a "Rockshow at the End of the World" headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights. They headlined in Dublin, Ireland on August 20, Aberdeen, Scotland on August 22 and in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 23, 2012. They then played a series of shows around Europe including supporting Green Day in Germany. All Time Low were announced on Soundwave's 2013 lineup for Australia.
On September 27, All Time Low released the song "Outlines", featuring Jason Vena from the band Acceptance via MTV. On October 2, a week before its release, Hopeless Records' YouTube channel posted the entire Don't Panic album as a stream, with lyrics for all the songs.
In September 2013, the band re-released their album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now!. It featured four newly recorded songs and four additional acoustic remixes as well as the original material. The lead single, A Love Like War featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil was released on September 2. Starting on September 23, All Time Low toured with Pierce the Veil as a supporting act of A Day To Remember's House Party Tour.
2014–2016: Future Hearts
On March 8, 2014, All Time Low toured the UK as part of their "A Love Like War: UK Tour" before moving on to the states on March 28 for the remaining part of the tour. The music video for their song "The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver" used clips from that tour and premiered on Kerrang! on May 14.
Their next album would be recorded with producer John Feldman. The album, Future Hearts, was announced with the first single, "Something's Gotta Give", premiering on Radio One on January 11, 2015. The second single, "Kids In The Dark", was released on March 9, 2015. The band played Soundwave 2015 in Australia and headlined sideshows.
They headlined a spring US 2015 tour for the album with support from Issues, Tonight Alive and State Champs, and co-headlining a UK tour with You Me At Six. Future Hearts debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 75,000 copies in its first week, becoming the band's highest charting and biggest selling week ever. It also topped the UK Albums Chart with almost 20,000 first week sales.
In July 2015, the band won four awards at the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards.
The band has since toured and released music videos, including one for "Runaways" in August 2015. On September 1, 2016, the band leaked a new song titled "Take Cover", which was later officially released with a music video the next day as a bonus track for their live album, "Straight to DVD II: Past, Present, and Future Hearts". Members of the band also appeared for surprise DJ sets at Emo Nite in Los Angeles in 2015.
2017–2019: Last Young Renegade
In mid-February 2017, the band announced a new song to be premiered on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw, called "Dirty Laundry". The music video was directed by Pat Tracy, who had also directed the music video for "Missing You". This was the first release after changing record labels from Hopeless Records to Fueled by Ramen. Both songs are singles from their album, Last Young Renegade, which was released on June 2, 2017. The band also released their cover of "Longview" by Green Day for the documentary "Green Day: The Early Years". On March 1, 2018, it was announced All Time Low would play three dates of the 2018 Vans Warped Tour. On June 12, 2018, the band released a song called "Everything Is Fine." The song's teasing featured the band members posting the song's title to social media repeatedly a day before it was released. On June 29, 2018, the band released a song called "Birthday." A live-in-the-studio re-recording of Nothing Personal was released on November 8, 2019.
On 29 May 2019, All Time Low performed at Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer's Friends of Friends sold-out benefit concert, held in Venice, California. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Safe Place for Youth project, a housing and support service for homeless youth in Los Angeles.
2020–present: Wake Up, Sunshine
On January 1, 2020, the band released a video indicating the Last Young Renegade era had come to an end with a person in a panda suit burning their renegade jerseys, hinting their new album was coming.
Later that same month on January 21, 2020, the band released the song "Some Kind of Disaster".
On February 17, 2020, the band announced their new album, titled Wake Up, Sunshine, and would be released on April 3, 2020. The album featured 15 tracks and collaborations with rapper Blackbear and The Band Camino.
On February 24, 2020, it was announced that All Time Low would be opening acts for Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer for the European arena concert dates on their No Shame Tour. Initially set to take place between 26 May 2020 to 16 June 2020, the European leg of the tour was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The European shows are now set to begin on 20 April 2021 at the Palais 12 Arena in Brussels, Belgium with All Time Low being the opening act for thirteen shows.
On December 4, 2020, the band's song "Monsters" was re-released, featuring vocals from singer Demi Lovato.
On March 24, 2021, the band released the single "Once In a Lifetime".
On July 30, 2021, the band released a single "PMA" (Postmodern Anxiety) featuring Pale Waves.
Online allegations
In early October 2021, a TikTok video surfaced that accused an unnamed pop-punk band of inviting a 13-year-old onto its tour bus, claiming in the comments section that they "tried to take my bra off" with additional indications that it was All Time Low. A Twitter thread was later released anonymously detailing allegations against Jack Barakat. The band released a statement calling the allegations "completely and utterly false" and said they would pursue legal action. Meet Me at the Altar and Nothing,Nowhere dropped out of the band's Autumn tour and announced joint dates for shows in the wake of the allegations. The band sued three anonymous accounts for libel in February 2022, claiming they were "the victims of defamatory social media posts falsely and maliciously accusing them of sexual abuse and knowingly enabling such illegal conduct."
Musical style and influences
All Time Low's musical style has generally been described as pop punk, pop rock, power pop, emo pop, emo, and alternative rock. All Time Low cites bands such as Blink-182, Green Day, MxPx, New Found Glory, Saves the Day, and The Get Up Kids as influences.
Band members
Current members
Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present); rhythm guitar (2003)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003–present)
Zack Merrick – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
Chris Cortilello – bass guitar (2003)
TJ Ihle – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003)
Touring members
Dan Swank – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, percussion (2020–present)
Bryan Donahue – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2020)
Matt Colussy – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Flyzik – backing vocals (2006–2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
The Party Scene (2005)
So Wrong, It's Right (2007)
Nothing Personal (2009)
Dirty Work (2011)
Don't Panic (2012)
Future Hearts (2015)
Last Young Renegade (2017)
Wake Up, Sunshine (2020)
Tours
Headlining
Manwhores and Open Sores Tour (2008)
AP Tour 2008 (2008)
Shortest Tour Ever (2008)
The Compromising of Integrity, Morality and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour (2008)
The Glamour Kills Tour (2009)
A Love Like War (2014)
Opening acts
Fall Out Boy – Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour (2009)
5 Seconds of Summer – No Shame Tour (European shows only) (April 2021)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Pop punk groups from Maryland
American pop rock music groups
American power pop groups
American emo musical groups
Interscope Records artists
Kerrang! Awards winners
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical groups from Baltimore
Rock music groups from Maryland
Musical quartets
People from Towson, Maryland
Hopeless Records artists | true | [
"Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza On Tour is an Asian concert tour by Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza. The concert was held on February 21 to March 16, 2019 to coincide with 24th anniversary of Siti's musical career. Estimated at a budget about RM10 million, Siti Nurhaliza on Tour was touted as the most expensive concerts in the Malaysian entertainment history. Siti went on planned to embark her concert tour in London which scheduled in April.\n\nBackground\nThe concert was announced by Siti during the concert's press conference in 18 December 2018. She discloses that the organizer, Shiraz Projects to received any sponsorships openly to any parties for her concert, which slated to toured four countries by 2019. She commented: \"I’m blessed that the organiser behind the tour (Shiraz Project), has arranged for vocal training sessions from the very best. There’s always room for improvement in anything you do, even if you’ve been doing it for a long time,\".\n\nTour dates\n\nSee also\n List of Siti Nurhaliza concert tours\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza On Tour on Facebook\n\n2019 concert tours\nSiti Nurhaliza concert tours",
"The Nordic Golf League is one of the four PGA European Tour-recognised third-tier men's professional golf tours that are known as the Satellite Tours. The top five players on the rankings list at the end of each season earn a place on the second tier Challenge Tour for the following year. For 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, other rules were decided for qualification for the 2021 Challenge Tour.\n\nThe Nordic Golf League is based in Scandinavia, and consists primarily of tournaments on the national tours of Denmark (Ecco Tour) and Sweden (Swedish Golf Tour).\n\nBeginning in July 2015, Nordic Golf League tournaments carry Official World Golf Ranking points.\n\nAlumni who went on to win on the European Tour include Lucas Bjerregaard, Alexander Björk, Kristoffer Broberg, Rikard Karlberg, Mikko Korhonen, Morten Ørum Madsen, Christian Nilsson, and Thorbjørn Olesen.\n\nOrder of Merit winners\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nProfessional golf tours\nGolf in Denmark\nGolf in Finland\nGolf in Norway\nGolf in Sweden"
]
|
[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life"
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Did he have any hobbies? | 1 | Did Prince Harry have any hobbies? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. | false | [
"This is a partial list of hobbies. A hobby is an activity, interest, or pastime that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation, done during one's own leisure time.\n\nGeneral hobbies\n\nOutdoors and sports\n\nEducational hobbies\n\nCollection hobbies\n\nIndoors\n\nOutdoors\n\nCompetitive hobbies\n\nIndoors\n\nOutdoors\n\nObservation hobbies\n\nIndoors\n\nOutdoors\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n\nEntertainment lists",
"Silicon Chip is an Australian electronics magazine. It was started in November, 1987 by Leo Simpson. Following the demise of Electronics Australia, for many years it was the only hobbyist-related electronics magazine remaining in Australia. A new competitor, called Diyode launched in July 2017.\n\nMagazine\nThe magazine has features such as\nProjects to build\nServiceman's Log\nComputer Features\nVintage Radio\nProduct Showcase\nMailbag/Ask Silicon Chip\nCircuit Notebook (reader contributions)\n\nThe print version of Silicon Chip is produced and printed in Australia by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. The magazine is published monthly on the last Thursday of the month prior to the cover date.\n\nSome time after Electronics Australia closed its doors, Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd purchased the titles Electronics Australia, Electronics Today (International), Radio, TV & Hobbies, Radio & Hobbies and Wireless Weekly, along with the copyright to original (non-submitted) material published in those magazines. The copyright of some submitted projects and articles for those old magazines technically still remains with the original authors. This is why Silicon Chip have not released Electronics Australia back-issues on CD, as they did with the older Radio TV & Hobbies. However they can provide an electronic copy of any Electronics Australia article for a price, which invalidates the previous reasoning. Except that copies are not provided in cases of articles where there is a question over the ownership of copyright.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nOfficial website\n\n1987 establishments in Australia\nHobby magazines\nHobby electronics magazines\nMagazines established in 1987\nMagazines published in Sydney\nMonthly magazines published in Australia\nScience and technology magazines",
"A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. Participation in hobbies encourages acquiring substantial skills and knowledge in that area. A list of hobbies changes with renewed interests and developing fashions, making it diverse and lengthy. Hobbies tend to follow trends in society, for example stamp collecting was popular during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as postal systems were the main means of communication, while video games are more popular nowadays following technological advances. The advancing production and technology of the nineteenth century provided workers with more leisure time to engage in hobbies. Because of this, the efforts of people investing in hobbies has increased with time. \n\nHobbyists may be identified under three sub-categories: casual leisure which is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation, serious leisure which is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment, and finally project-based leisure which is a short-term, often one-off, project that is rewarding.\n\nEtymology \n\nIn the 16th century, the term \"hobyn\" had the meaning of \"small horse and pony\". The term \"hobby horse\" was documented in a 1557 payment confirmation for a \"Hobbyhorse\" from Reading, England. The item, originally called a \"Tourney Horse\", was made of a wooden or basketwork frame with an artificial tail and head. It was designed for a child to mimic riding a real horse. By 1816 the derivative, \"hobby\", was introduced into the vocabulary of a number of English people. Over the course of subsequent centuries, the term came to be associated with recreation and leisure. In the 17th century, the term was used in a pejorative sense by suggesting that a hobby was a childish pursuit, however, in the 18th century with more industrial society and more leisure time, hobbies took on greater respectability. A hobby is also called a pastime, derived from the use of hobbies to pass the time. A hobby became an activity that is practised regularly and usually with some worthwhile purpose. Hobbies are usually, but not always, practised primarily for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward.\n\nHistory \nHobbies were originally described as pursuits that others thought somewhat childish or trivial. However, as early as 1676 Sir Matthew Hale, in Contemplations Moral and Divine, wrote \"Almost every person hath some hobby horse or other wherein he prides himself.\" He was acknowledging that a \"hobby horse\" produces a legitimate sense of pride. By the mid 18th century there was a flourishing of hobbies as working people had more regular hours of work and greater leisure time. They spent more time to pursue interests that brought them satisfaction. However, there was concern that these working people might not use their leisure time in worthwhile pursuits. \"The hope of weaning people away from bad habits by the provision of counter-attractions came to the fore in the 1830s, and has rarely waned since. Initially, the bad habits were perceived to be of a sensual and physical nature, and the counter attractions, or perhaps more accurately alternatives, deliberately cultivated rationality and the intellect.\" The flourishing book and magazine trade of the day encouraged worthwhile hobbies and pursuits. The burgeoning manufacturing trade made materials used in hobbies cheap and was responsive to the changing interests of hobbyists.\n\nThe English have been identified as enthusiastic hobbyists, as George Orwell observed. \"[A]nother English characteristic which is so much a part of us that we barely notice it … is the addiction to hobbies and spare-time occupations, the privateness of English life. We are a nation of flower-lovers, but also a nation of stamp-collectors, pigeon-fanciers, amateur carpenters, coupon-snippers, darts-players, crossword-puzzle fans. All the culture that is most truly native centres round things which even when they are communal are not official—the pub, the football match, the back garden, the fireside and the 'nice cup of tea'.\"\n\nDeciding what to include in a list of hobbies provokes debate because it is difficult to decide which pleasurable pass-times can also be described as hobbies. During the 20th century the term hobby suggested activities, such as stamp collecting, embroidery, knitting, painting, woodwork, and photography. Typically the description did not include activities like listening to music, watching television, or reading. These latter activities bring pleasure, but lack the sense of achievement usually associated with a hobby. They are usually not structured, organised pursuits, as most hobbies are. The pleasure of a hobby is usually associated with making something of value or achieving something of value. \"Such leisure is socially valorised precisely because it produces feelings of satisfaction with something that looks very much like work but that is done of its own sake.\" \"Hobbies are a contradiction: they take work and turn it into leisure, and take leisure and turn it into work.\"\n\nHobbies change with time. In the 21st century, the video game industry is a very large hobby involving millions of kids and adults in various forms of 'play'. Stamp collecting declined along with the importance of the postal system. Woodwork and knitting declined as hobbies, because manufactured goods provide cheap alternatives for handmade goods. Through the internet, an online community has become a hobby for many people; sharing advice, information and support, and in some cases, allowing a traditional hobby, such as collecting, to flourish and support trading in a new environment.\n\nHobbyists \nHobbyists are a part of a wider group of people engaged in leisure pursuits where the boundaries of each group overlap to some extent. The Serious Leisure Perspective groups hobbyists with amateurs and volunteers and identifies three broad groups of leisure activity with hobbies being found mainly in the Serious leisure category. Casual leisure is intrinsically rewarding, short-lived, pleasurable activity requiring little or no preparation. Serious leisure is the systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist, or volunteer that is substantial, rewarding and results in a sense of accomplishment. Finally, project-based leisure is a short-term often a one-off project that is rewarding.\n\nThe terms amateur and hobbyist are often used interchangeably. Stebbins has a framework which distinguishes the terms in a useful categorisation of leisure in which casual leisure is separated from serious Leisure. He describes serious leisure as undertaken by amateurs, hobbyists and volunteers. Amateurs engage in pursuits that have a professional counterpart, such as playing an instrument or astronomy. Hobbyists engage in five broad types of activity: collecting, making and tinkering (like embroidery and car restoration), activity participation (like fishing and singing), sports and games, and liberal-arts hobbies (like languages, cuisine, literature). Volunteers commit to organisations where they work as guides, counsellors, gardeners and so on. The separation of the amateur from the hobbyist is because the amateur has the ethos of the professional practitioner as a guide to practice. An amateur clarinetist is conscious of the role and procedures of a professional clarinetist.\n\nA large proportion of hobbies are mainly solitary in nature. However, individual pursuit of a hobby often includes club memberships, organised sharing of products and regular communication between participants. For many hobbies there is an important role in being in touch with fellow hobbyists. Some hobbies are of communal nature, like choral singing and volunteering.\n\nPeople who engage in hobbies have an interest in and time to pursue them. Children have been an important group of hobbyists because they are enthusiastic for collecting, making and exploring, in addition to this they have the leisure time that allows them to pursue those hobbies. The growth in hobbies occurred during industrialisation which gave workers set time for leisure. During the Depression there was an increase in the participation in hobbies because the unemployed had the time and a desire to be purposefully occupied. Hobbies are often pursued with an increased interest by retired people because they have the time and seek the intellectual and physical stimulation a hobby provides.\n\nTypes of hobbies\n Hobbies are a diverse set of activities and it is difficult to categorize them in a logical manner. The following categorization of hobbies was developed by Stebbins.\n\nCollecting \n\nCollecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying and storing. Collecting is appealing to many people due to their interest in a particular subject and a desire to categorise and make order out of complexity. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating items from countries of the world. Others focus on a subtopic within their area of interest, perhaps 19th century postage stamps, milk bottle labels from Sussex, or Mongolian harnesses and tack, Firearms (both modern and vintage).\n\nCollecting is an ancient hobby, with the list of coin collectors showing Caesar Augustus as one. Sometimes collectors have turned their hobby into a business, becoming commercial dealers that trade in the items being collected.\n\nAn alternative to collecting physical objects is collecting records of events of a particular kind. Examples include train spotting, bird-watching, aircraft spotting, railfans, and any other form of systematic recording a particular phenomenon. The recording form can be written, photographic, online, etc.\n\nMaking and tinkering \n\nMaking and tinkering includes working on self-motivated projects for fulfillment. These projects may be progressive, irregular tasks performed over a long period of time. Making and Tinkering hobbies include higher-end projects, such as building or restoring a car or building a computer from individual parts, like CPUs and SSDs. For computer savvy do-it-yourself hobbyists, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining may also popular. A CNC machine can be assembled and programmed to make different parts from wood or metal. \n\nTinkering is 'dabbling' with the making process, often applied to the hobby of tinkering with car repairs, and various kinds of restoration: of furniture, antique cars, etc. It also applies to household tinkering: repairing a wall, laying a pathway, etc. Examples of Making and Tinkering hobbies include Scale modeling, model engineering, 3D printing, dressmaking, and cooking. \n\nScale modeling is making a replica of a real-life object in a smaller scale and dates back to prehistoric times with small clay \"dolls\" and other children's toys that have been found near known populated areas. Some of the earliest scale models of residences were found in Cucuteni–Trypillia culture in Eastern Europe. These artifacts were dated to be around 3000-6000 BC. Similar models dating back to the same period were found in ancient Egypt, India, China and Mesopotamia archaeological sites.\n\nAt the turn of the Industrial Age and through the 1920s, some families could afford things such as electric trains, wind-up toys (typically boats or cars) and the increasingly valuable tin toy soldiers. Scale modeling as we know it today became popular shortly after World War II. Before 1946, children as well as adults were content in carving and shaping wooden replicas from block wood kits, often depicting enemy aircraft to help with identification in case of an invasion. \n\nWith the advent of modern plastics, the amount of skill required to get the basic shape accurately shown for any given subject was lessened, making it easier for people of all ages to begin assembling replicas in varying scales. Superheroes, aeroplanes, boats, cars, tanks, artillery, and even figures of soldiers became quite popular subjects to build, paint and display. Although almost any subject can be found in almost any scale, there are common scales for such miniatures which remain constant today.\n\nModel engineering refers to building functioning machinery in metal, such as internal combustion motors and live steam models or locomotives. This is a demanding hobby that requires a multitude of large and expensive tools, such as lathes and mills. This hobby originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, later spreading and flourishing in the mid-20th century. Due to the expense and space required, it is becoming rare.\n\n3D Printing is a relatively new technology and already a major hobby as the cost of printers has fallen sharply. It is a good example of how hobbyists quickly engage with new technologies, communicate with one another and become producers related to their former hobby. 3D modeling is the process of making mathematical representations of three dimensional items and is an aspect of 3D printing.\n\nDressmaking has been a major hobby up until the late 20th century, in order to make cheap clothes, but also as a creative design and craft challenge. It has been reduced by the low cost of manufactured clothes.\n\nCooking is for some people an interest, a hobby, a challenge and a source of significant satisfaction. For many other people it is a job, a chore, a duty, like cleaning. In the early 21st century the importance of cooking as a hobby was demonstrated by the high popularity of competitive television cooking programs.\n\nActivity participation \n\nActivity participation includes partaking in \"non-competitive, rule-based pursuits.\"\n\nOutdoor pursuits are the group of activities which occur outdoors. These hobbies include gardening, hill walking, hiking, backpacking, cycling, canoeing, climbing, caving, fishing, hunting, target shooting (informal or formal), wildlife viewing (as birdwatching) and engaging in watersports and snowsports.\n\nOne large subset of outdoor pursuits is gardening. Residential gardening most often takes place in or about one's own residence, in a space referred to as the garden. Although a garden typically is located on the land near a residence, it may also be located on a roof, in an atrium, on a balcony, in a windowbox, or on a patio or vivarium.\n\nGardening also takes place in non-residential green areas, such as parks, public or semi-public gardens (botanical gardens or zoological gardens), amusement and theme parks, along transportation corridors, and around tourist attractions and hotels. In these situations, a staff of gardeners or groundskeepers maintains the gardens.\n\nIndoor gardening is concerned with growing houseplants within a residence or building, in a conservatory, or in a greenhouse. Indoor gardens are sometimes incorporated into air conditioning or heating systems.\n\nWater gardening is concerned with growing plants that have adapted to pools and ponds, along with aquascaping in planted aquariums. Bog gardens are also considered a type of water garden. A simple water garden may consist solely of a tub containing the water and plants.\n\nContainer gardening is concerned with growing plants in containers that are placed above the ground.\n\nLiberal arts pursuits \n\nMany hobbies involve performances by the hobbyist, such as singing, acting, juggling, magic, dancing, playing a musical instrument, martial arts, and other performing arts.\n\nSome hobbies may result in an end product. Examples of this would be woodworking, photography, moviemaking, jewelry making, software projects such as Photoshopping and home music or video production, making bracelets, artistic projects such as drawing, painting, Cosplay (design, creation, and wearing a costume based on an already existing creative property), creating models out of card stock or paper – called papercraft. Many of these fall under the category visual arts.\n\nWriting is often taken up as a hobby by aspiring writers and usually appears in the form of personal blog, guest posting or fan fiction (literary art resulting in creation of written content based on already existing, licensed creative property under specified terms). \n\nReading, books, ebooks, magazines, comics, or newspapers, along with browsing the internet is a common hobby, and one that can trace its origins back hundreds of years. A love of literature, later in life, may be sparked by an interest in reading children's literature as a child. Many of these fall under the category literary arts.\n\nSports and games \n\nStebbins distinguishes an amateur sports person and a hobbyist by suggesting a hobbyist plays in less formal sports, or games that are rule bound and have no professional equivalent. While an amateur sports individual plays a sport with a professional equivalent, such as football or tennis. Amateur sport may range from informal play to highly competitive practice, such as deck tennis or long distance trekking.\n\nThe Department for Culture, Media, and Support in England suggests that playing sports benefits physical and mental health. A positive relationship appeared between engaging in sports and improving overall health.\n\nPsychological role \nDuring the 20th century there was extensive research into the important role that play has in human development. While most evident in childhood, play continues throughout life for many adults in the form of games, hobbies, and sport. Moreover, studies of aging and society support the value of hobbies in healthy aging.\n\nSignificant achievements \nThere have been many instances where hobbyists and amateurs have achieved significant discoveries and developments. These are a small sample.\n\n Amateur astronomers have explored the skies for centuries and there is a long list of Notable amateur astronomers who have made major discoveries. Amateur astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered the Comet Hale–Bopp.\n A substantial amount of early scientific research came from the amateur activities of the wealthy, such as Antoine Lavoisier's contributions to the science of chemistry. At that time there were few professional scientists and little formal study in the area. Another example is the experimentation in electricity that Benjamin Franklin undertook that resulted in his invention of the lightning rod.\n Open source is a development model using the internet to cooperate on projects. It is most notable in the development of software and widely used software, which has been developed and maintained by large numbers of people, including many home-based amateurs with high level expertise.\n While the general public was not aware of nature observation which was formally conducted as field research, during the 1930s, practitioners of the hobby went on to become the pioneers of the conservation movement that flourished in the UK from 1965 onwards.\n\nSee also \n Avocation\n Entertainment\n Community of interest\n List of hobbies\n Personal life\n Play (activity)\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Learn Hobbies Online\n\n \nRecreation\nPersonal life"
]
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[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross."
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Has he earned any awards? | 2 | Has Prince Harry earned any awards? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, | false | [
"Shakib Khan (born 28 March 1979) is a Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personality. Khan has earned numerous accolades and become one of the most award-winning entertainers in Dhallywood with more than 30 awards including four National Film Awards, eight Meril Prothom Alo Awards, three Bachsas Awards and six CJFB Performance Awards. For the role of Surja, an independent young man in the family-drama film Bhalobaslei Ghor Bandha Jay Na (2010), he has received his first National Film Awards for Best Actor at the 35th National Film Awards in 2010. For role of Munna, a boy who deeply love his mother and got separated from his mother when he was quite young in the action drama film Khodar Pore Ma, he received his second National Film Awards for Best Actor in 2012. In 2015, he portrait as himself, a famous film star who later fall in love with a simple girl and committed suicide for her in the romantic drama Aro Bhalobashbo Tomay and earned him his third National Film Awards for Best Actor. For the role of Sabuj, a drugs addicted spoiled son of a rich man, who keeps himself out of society in romantic drama film Swatta (2017), he received his fourth National Film Awards for Best Actor.\n\nHe has won total eight Meril Prothom Alo Awards, which is the highest number of any male film actor. He received his first Meril Prothom Alo Awards for Best Actor for Amar Praner Swami for the role of Raju in 2007. In addition to this he won the award seven more times. In 2016, he portrait as Sultan alias Raghab, a disguised professional assassin with mysterious past, tasked with assassinating a top government official in the action thriller Shikari, he received his eighth Meril Prothom Alo Awards for Best Actor prior this he also earned a Tele Cine Awards for Best Actor (Bangladesh). Khan has also received an honoured as New Generation Actors at the 4th Cholochitra Mela in 2012.\n\nNational Film Awards\n\nBachsas Awards\n\nMeril Prothom Alo Awards\n\nLux Channel i Performance Awards\n\nCJFB Performance Awards\n\nTele Cine Awards\n\nTelevision Reporters Association of Bangladesh (Trab) Awards\n\nBharat Bangladesh Film Awards\n\nChannel i Digital Media Awards\n\nOther Awards and Honours \nWalton Boishakhi Star Awards\n Won: Best Actor – 2011\n\n BCRA award\n Won: Best Actor for Jaan Amar Jaan 2009\n Won: Best Actor 2011\n\nAkota Awards 2005\n Nom: Best Actor for Amar Swapno Tumi\n\n Dhallywood Film and Music Awards\n Won: Best Actor for Ek Taker Bou 2009\n\n Binodon Bichitra Award 2010\n Won: Best actor for Number One Shakib Khan\n\nIfad Film Club Awards\n Won: Best Actor – 2012\n Won: Best Actor and Best Couple Awards – 2017\n\nATN Bangla Performance Awards\n Won: Best Actor Award – 2017\n\n Diamond World Channel I Best Awards\n Nom: for Best Actor\n Film Awards Bangla (FAB 2010)\nAlso known as West Bangla and East Bangla Film Awards\n Nom: Best Actor for Amar Praner Priya 2009\n Babisas Award\n Won: Best actor for Number One Shakib Khan 2010\n Showbiz Award 2010\n Won: Best actor for Bhalobashar Lal Golap\n 4th Cholochitra Mela 2012\n Special award – honoured as New Generation Actors\n\nFootnotes\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n\nKhan, Shakib",
"The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Morgan Freeman. Freeman is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation and an acting icon. He is known for his distinctive deep voice, and his various roles on the stage and screen across of a variety film genres. \nFor his lifetime achievement in acting he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008. His other honorary awards include the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2011, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2012 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2018.\n\nThroughout his nearly seven-decade-long career he has earned a multitude awards and nominations for his performances. He has earned five Academy Award nominations winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Clint Eastwood's sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004). He was also nominated for his performances in Street Smart (1987), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Invictus (2009). He also has earned five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Driving Miss Daisy.\n\nMajor awards\n\nAcademy Awards\n\nGolden Globe Awards\n\nPrimetime Emmy Awards\n\nScreen Actors Guild Awards\n\nTony Awards\n\nMajor awards\n\nBlack Reel Awards\n\nMTV Movie Awards\n\nNAACP Image Awards\n\nFilm critics awards\n\nMiscellaneous awards\n\nLifetime achievement awards\n\nOther honors\n 1997: Received an honorary degree from Rhodes College, becoming an honorary alumnus\n 1998: Received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.His Golden Plate was presented by Awards Council member George Lucas.\n 2008: Kennedy Center Honors\n 2010: Received an honorary degree from Brown University\n 2013: Received an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) from Boston University\n 2014: Freedom of the City from the City of London\n\nReferences\n\nFreeman, Morgan",
"This is a list of awards and nominations for composer Alan Menken. Menken has been recognized with multiple awards and nominations for his work in film, theatre, television, and music.\n\nFor his work in film he earned 19 Academy Award nominations winning 8 Oscars for The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995). He also earned 16 Golden Globe Award nominations winning 7 awards. He has earned two British Academy Film Award nominations, and five Critics' Choice Movie Award nominations. For his work in theatre he received five Tony Award nominations winning once, and 2 Laurence Olivier Awards winning once. He also received 24 Grammy Awards winning 11 awards. For his work in television he has earned two Emmy Awards.\n\nMajor associations\n\nAcademy Awards\n 8 wins out of 19 nominations\n\nEmmy Awards\n\nGrammy Awards \n 11 wins out of 24 nominations\n\nTony Awards \n1 win out of 5 nominations\n\nFilm awards\n\nBritish Academy Film Awards\n\nCritics' Choice Awards\n\nGolden Globe Awards\n 7 wins out of 16 nominations\n\nTheater work\n\nDrama Desk Awards \n 1 win out of 6 nominations\n\nDrama League Awards\n\nEvening Standard Award\n\nLaurence Olivier Awards\n1 win out of 2 nominations\n\nNew York Drama Critic Circle Awards\n\nOuter Critics Circle Awards \n3 wins out of 4 nominations\n\nMiscellaenous awards\n\nAnnie Awards\n 1 win out of 4 nominations\n\nBMI Film/TV Awards\n 8 wins out of 8 nominations + Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award\n\nGeorgia Film Critics Association Awards\n\nGolden Raspberry Award \n\nMenken officially accepted this Razzie and has spoken proudly of it in interviews since.\n\nHouston Film Critics Society Awards\n\nInternational Film Music Critics Awards\n1 win out of 3 nominations\n\nOnline Film and Television Awards\n\nPhoenix Film Critics Society Awards\n\nSaturn Awards\n 2 wins out of 5 nominations\n\nSierra Awards\n\nFrench Mickey d'Or \n3 wins out of 9 nominations\n\nSpecial honors\n\n 1993 – Distinguished Alumni Award (given by New York University Association)\n 1998 – Kol Zimrah Award (given by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion)\n 1998 – Colleen Dewhurst Awards: \"in recognition for outstanding contribution to the arts\" (given by Northern Westchester Center for the Arts)\n 2000 – Presidential Medal (given by New York University)\n 2001 – Disney Legend Award\n 2008 – Inductee: NYU Musical Theatre Hall of Fame\n 2008 – Inductee: Songwriter's Hall of Fame\n 2009 – Lifetime Achievement Award (given during the Musical Awards)\n 2010 – Hollywood Walk of Fame Star\n 2011 – Maestro Award (given by Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter Film and TV Conference)\n 2012 – Honors: \"for extraordinary life achievement\" (given by Encompass New Opera Theatre)\n 2013 – The Oscar Hammerstein Award (given by York Theatre Company)\n 2013 – Broadway Junior Honors: \"in recognition for his contribution towards the advancement of musical theatre for young people\"\n 2013 – Freddie G. Award for Musical Achievement (given during Junior Theatre Festival)\n\nReferences\n\nAwards\nMenken, Alan"
]
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[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,"
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Did he earn a degree? | 3 | Did Prince Harry earn a degree? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | false | [
"Jon Weber is an American politician and businessman serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 34th district. He assumed office on December 1, 2020.\n\nEarly life and education\nWeber was raised in Michigan. He studied business at Ricks College and Utah State University, but did not earn a degree.\n\nCareer\nWeber has owned and operated several businesses and served as chairman of the Madison County Commission. He was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in November 2020, succeeding Doug Ricks.\n\nReferences \n\nIdaho Republicans\nLiving people\nMembers of the Idaho House of Representatives\nYear of birth missing (living people)\n21st-century American politicians",
"Rita Lobato Velho Lopes (June 7, 1866 in Rio Grande – January 6, 1954 in Rio Pardo) was the first woman to earn a degree in Brazil to practice medicine. She was the second Brazilian woman physician, following , who earned a degree from the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women in 1881. Lobato received her degree in 1887 from a school in Bahia. Her initial enrollment caused debate, with some people arguing that women had brains too small to understand medicine or that a female doctor would never find a husband, although others were in favor of her entrance and the Echo das Damas\n saw her as an example for Brazilian girls. She did, in fact, marry and practised medicine for several years.\n\nReferences \n\n1866 births\n1954 deaths\n20th-century Brazilian physicians\nPeople from Rio Grande (Rio Grande do Sul)\nBrazilian women physicians",
"William Fremont Blackman (1855–1932) was the fourth president of Rollins College from 1902 to 1915. He was born on September 26, 1855, in North Pitcher, New York. He attended Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1877. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Yale University in 1880 and his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1893. He did further studies at the Berlin University (Royal Statistical Bureau, 1893) and the College de France in Paris (1894).\n\nBefore he joined Yale as Professor of Christian Ethics in 1893, he held pastorates at congregational churches in Steubenville, Ohio, Naugatuck, Connecticut, and Ithaca, New York. While at Yale he lectured on social philosophy and ethics, and served as editor of the Yale Review. He was appointed as President of Rollins College in 1902.\n\nHe received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1910 from the University of Florida. He died in 1932 and was interred in Winter Park, Florida.\n\nReferences\n\n1855 births\n1932 deaths\nCornell University alumni\nOberlin College alumni\nPresidents of Rollins College\nRollins College faculty\nYale Divinity School alumni\nYale University faculty"
]
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[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,",
"Did he earn a degree?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | What did he do for entertainment? | 4 | What did Prince Harry do for entertainment? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". | false | [
"What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord!? 2 (formerly known as Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time To Tighten Up Security!, known as Yūsha no Kuse ni Namaiki da or2, 勇者のくせになまいきだor2, literally \"For a hero, [you are] quite impudent/cheeky/bold] 2)\" in Japan) is a real-time strategy/god game for the PlayStation Portable, sequel to What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?.\n\nThe game was released in Japan in 2008, and was announced for a North American release during Tokyo Game Show 2009. This release was delayed until May 4, 2010, due to NIS America changing the game's name from Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time to Tighten Up Security! to What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2 to avoid conflict with the Batman license.. The UMD release includes the first game.\n\nGameplay \nThe gameplay is almost identical to the first game, with a few different additions and changes. These include 'Mutation' (monsters can mutate in three forms: by deformity, by obesity and by gigantism) and 'The Overlord's Chamber', where you can grow monsters and observe their evolution.\nWhat Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord!? 2 contains \"4 times more stages, 3.3 times more monsters and 2.3 times more heroes\" than the first game.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Official website\n\n2008 video games\nGod games\nPlayStation Portable games\nPlayStation Portable-only games\nReal-time strategy video games\nSony Interactive Entertainment games\nVideo game sequels\nVideo games developed in Japan",
"\"Do What's Good for Me\" is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in October 1995 as the first single from their greatest hits compilation album, Hits Unlimited. Co-written by Anita Dels and Ray Slijngaard, it was a notable hit in Europe, reaching the Top 10 in Finland and Spain.\n\nCritical reception\nLarry Flick from Billboard wrote, \"The ongoing wave of pop-NRG dance acts enjoying radio prominence owes a massive debt to this ever-hot European duo for getting the party started. Sadly, the act has yet to achieve U.S. success à la such offspring as Real McCoy, but this jumpy li'l jam could easily change that. The bassline throbs infectiously, while the interplay of male rapping and female singing pops with palpable chemistry.\" Ross Jones from The Guardian deemed it \"a powerhouse anthem of self-discovery, robo-bass, and skipping beats\". A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding that \"Anita and Ray go for a harder-edged techno sound, resulting in a less radio-friendly track than many of their recent releases.\" James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update called it a \"synth stabbed squawker\".\n\nChart performance\n\"Do What's God for Me\" scored chart success in many European countries, peaking at number 3 in both Finland and Spain. It managed a respectable 17th place on the Canadian RPM singles chart, while also charting in the Top 20 in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. In the latter, it peaked at number 16 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on October 15, 1995. Additionally, the single was a Top 30 hit in Austria and Scotland, and a Top 40 hit in Sweden. In Australia, it only reached number 87.\n\nMusic video\nThe music video for \"Do What's Good For Me\" was directed by director Nigel Simpkiss and released in the UK in October 1995. It features Anita and Ray performing the song in a computer, on a website. Simpkiss also directed the music videos for \"Let the Beat Control Your Body\", \"The Real Thing\", \"Here I Go\" and \"Nothing Like the Rain\". \"Do What's Good For Me\" was uploaded to YouTube in July 2014, and as of September 2020, the video has got more than 140,000 views.\n\nTrack listing\n\n Canadian CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:55)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:05)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:08)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:25)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (9:00)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n European and Japanese CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n UK CD single no.1\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:11)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n UK CD single no.2\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:11)\n \"2U Megamix\" (6:04)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n US CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n 7\" single\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (3:50)\n\n Belgian 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n\n Italian 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n US 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nKids Like You and Me\n\nIn the Netherlands, a re-recorded version of this track entitled \"Kids Like You And Me\" was released in order to promote awareness of homeless youth. The music remained the same while new lyrics were composed incorporating the messages of homeless youth. It was not released in the United Kingdom.\n\nTrack listing\n CD single \n \"Kids Like You And Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:49)\n \"Kids Like You And Me\" (Instrumental) (3:49)\n\nReferences\n\n1995 singles\n2 Unlimited songs\n1995 songs\nSongs written by Jean-Paul De Coster\nSongs written by Phil Wilde\nSongs written by Ray Slijngaard\nSongs written by Anita Doth\nByte Records singles\nPete Waterman Entertainment singles\nMusic videos directed by Nigel Simpkiss",
"Hanzala Shahid (, also spelled Hanzala; born 25 February 2005) is a Pakistani child actor who appears in drama serials and films of Lollywood films. He was born in the Naval Colony Majeed SRE and studied in Bahria Model School II Majeed SRE. He appeared in 146 drama serials, live shows, TV commercials, fashion shows and films.\nHis Famous drama serials are \n1- Gohar-e-Nayab for A Plus\n2- Khilona for ARY Digital \n3- Rubaru For Hum tv\n4- Do Saal Ki Aurat for Hum tv\n5- Piyar Hai Tu Mera for Hum Sitary tv\n6- Do Qadam Dour Thy for Geo Entertainment \n7- Manchahi For Geo Entertainment \n8- Tum meri ho For Hum tv\n9- Telefil Socha na tha for Hum tv\n10- Aisa bhi hota hai for Sama tv\n11- Kitni girhain baqi hain for Hum tv\n12- Hansna Mana hai for Bol Entertainment \n13- Kho gaya woh for Bol Entertainment \n14- Apnac Tu Style Yahi Hai (APTYH) for Play Entertainment \n15- Aik Pal \nand many more \n He is known for his work in 3 Bahadur and 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam.\n\nReferences\n\nKho gaya woh\n\nExternal links\n\n2005 births\nLiving people\nPakistani male child actors\nPakistani male film actors\nPakistani male television actors"
]
|
|
[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,",
"Did he earn a degree?",
"I don't know.",
"What did he do for entertainment?",
"Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a \"wild child\"."
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Are there any examples of him being a wild child? | 5 | Are there any examples of Prince Harry being a wild child? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, | false | [
"A wild card in card games is one that may be used to represent any other playing card, sometimes with certain restrictions. These may be jokers, for example in Rummy games, or ordinary ranked and suited cards may be designated as wild cards such as the J and 9 in Classic Brag or the \"deuces wild\" in Poker. A card that is not wild may be referred to as a natural card. Jokers, however, may also have other uses, such as being a permanent top trump.\n\nUse \nIn most cases, the wild card or cards must be agreed upon by all players before the cards are dealt and play commences. There are two common rules regarding wild cards: \"fully wild\" cards and the \"bug\".\n\nA card that is fully wild can be designated by its holder as any card they choose with no restrictions. Under this rule, for example, a hand with any natural pair and a wild card becomes three of a kind.\n\nConversely, a bug is a limited wild. The common rule in casinos is that a wild card plays as a bug, which is given the rank of ace unless designating it as a different card would complete a straight, flush, or straight flush. Under this rule, a hand such as K-K-Joker-5-2 is just a pair of kings (with an ace kicker), but any four same-suit cards with a bug make a flush, and a hand such as 7-Joker-5-4-3 makes a straight.\n\nThere is also a variation of the \"Fully Wild\" rule in which the wild card (in this instance they are usually jokers as there are traditionally only two and there is only one black and one red) can be any card of the suits matching the cards colour or current suit. For example, in a jokers wild game with these rules, the red joker could be used as any card of hearts or diamonds. Inversely, the black joker would be any card of clubs or spades.\n\nTwo exceptions to standard poker practice sometimes seen in home games are the double-ace flush rule, and the natural wins rule. The latter rule states that between hands that would otherwise tie, the hand with fewer wild cards wins. This is not common in casinos and should be treated as an exception to standard practice (as is the double-ace flush).\n\nIn some Austrian and South Tyrolean card games, one or more other cards may be used as wild cards, including the Weli, a special 6 of Bells, the 7 of Bells and 7 of Acorns. In the game of Perlaggen there are six or seven wild cards: four permanent Perlaggs - K or Maxl, 6 or Weli, 7 or Little Weli, the 7 of Bells or Bell-Spitz and 7 or Eichelspitz - as well as 3 \"Trump Perlaggs\" - the 7, Unter and Ober of Trumps.\n\nExamples \nThe following is a selection of cards and the games in which they are wild, based on Parlett:\n J - Boston, Guimbarde and Reversis\n 7 - Perlaggen\n 7 - Perlaggen\n K - Perlaggen\n S - Mus\n C - Mus\n Matto - Ottocento\n Bègato - Ottocento\n Deuces - Wild-card Rummy, Push Rummy, Canasta, Brag\n\nFootnotes and references \n\nCard game terminology\nPoker gameplay and terminology",
"Wild Child (Kyle Gibney) alternately spelled Wildchild and also known as Weapon Omega and Wildheart, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as both a superhero and a supervillain, and as a member of Alpha Flight, X-Factor and Weapon X.\n\nPublication history\n\nHe was created by John Byrne and appeared in a cameo appearance in Alpha Flight #1 (Aug 1983), but he did not appear in full until Alpha Flight #11.\n\nFictional character biography\nKyle Gibney is a mutant who manifested a feral mutation during puberty; this mutation granted him enhanced physical abilities and an increased rate of regeneration. He also suffered from a bestial freakish appearance, which prompted his parents to throw him out of their house. Living on the streets, he was kidnapped by the conspiratorial Secret Empire and subjected to mind- and body-altering experiments. The experiments had the consequence of making him psychologically unstable, and in particular prone to violent and animalistic behavior. During this time, he became acquainted with Dr. Valerie Cooper, a United States government official who was unaware of the Secret Empire's true nature or activities. He was freed by Wyre, the man who had unwittingly been the source for the genetic material that was used in the Empire's experiments.\n\nGibney (now Wild Child) was detained by the military and given over to the custody of Canada's secret Department H, who oversaw the formative Alpha Flight team. The Flight member Walter Langkowski, wanting to protect the youth from the military, placed him in the trainee team dubbed Gamma Flight. After Alpha Flight and its trainee groups were officially disbanded, Gibney was recruited to join the first Omega Flight team, a group of professional criminals. Alongside Omega Flight, he battled Alpha Flight and was defeated. Alongside Omega Flight, he battled Alpha Flight again in the West Edmonton Mall, and was defeated by Madison Jeffries. Afterwards, he committed a series of murders, which ended when he battled and was captured by Wolverine after he severely injured and almost killed Alpha Flight member Heather Hudson.\n\nWild Child was subsequently pardoned under unrevealed circumstances and given membership in the new Gamma Flight. Alongside Gamma Flight, he battled Alpha Flight. However, he then aided Gamma and Alpha Flight against Llan the Sorcerer's forces. When Gamma Flight was disbanded soon after that, he went berserk over his deprecated status and attacked Pathway, another trainee. Gamma's leader Nemesis teleported him away during a fight with Heather Hudson (then Guardian) and Wolverine, and he was captured by Wolverine. Department H would later help him overcome his psychological problems and cure his mental illness, train him in unarmed combat, and place him as a special operative of the Canadian government assigned to Alpha Flight under the codename Weapon Omega. Alongside Alpha Flight, he battled Diablo. He joined Alpha Flight's \"Core Alpha\", met the second X-Factor team, and prevented the mind-controlled Omerta from assassinating Italy's head of state. He also fought a Wild Child doppelganger during the Infinity War. He was attacked by Wyre but rescued by Alpha Flight. He searched for Nemesis, and was held prisoner with her by Rok, but they were then rescued by Weapon X. He defeated Wyre in personal combat; he then learned about his true origin, and changed his codename to Wildheart. He aided Alpha Flight in combat with the Wrecker. He also became romantically involved with his teammate Aurora.\n\nHis appearance eventually deteriorated back to his initial feral form, which prompted him to leave Alpha Flight and Aurora. He followed Valerie Cooper to the United States, where he joined the government operated team X-Factor. There he began a romantic relationship with his teammate Shard. His feral teammate Sabretooth frequently attempted, with little success, to convince Wild Child to become a hunter and killer like himself. He remained with the team until his body began mutating towards a more feral form. He eventually degenerated to a near-mindless state and was recruited (either willingly or via brainwashing) by the new Weapon X team.\n\nAs part of his draft, Wild Child was paired with Sabretooth to try and recruit Sunfire to the program. The Japanese mutant refused and badly burned Sabretooth. When Wild Child mocked his burns Sabretooth viciously sliced through Kyle's vocal cords and threatened to kill any Weapon X medical staff who would operate on him, making sure that he would remain mute.\n\nHis past flame, Aurora, was also recruited into the team but she was not herself. After the Weapon X upgrades she became cocky and aloof, snubbing the ugly Wild Child and even engaging in a relationship with the horribly disfigured Director of the program. This became fuel for the fire when Brent Jackson attempted to undermine the authority of the Director Malcolm Colcord. Using Aurora's attitude toward him as motive, Jackson convinced Wild Child to join his splinter group.\n\nDecimation\nWild Child was seen on a terminal screen as one of the mutants depowered after M-Day. His energy signature was found within the entity known as The Collective, along with the energy signatures of many other depowered mutants.\n\nPost-Decimation\nWild Child recently demonstrated that his powers had returned as well as previously erased memories. He even managed to best Wolverine in a quick fight. He is now looking like his old Wildheart persona.\n\nWild Child appeared once more in conflict with Wolverine aiding Omega Red and attempting to kill Logan. He was doing so under the order of the enigmatic Romulus. His plan consisted of dropping Logan into molten steel; however, he was interrupted by Omega Red. While Wild Child and Omega Red battled each other, Logan managed to flee. Omega Red succeeded in distracting Wild Child and thus was able to impale him on his coils before throwing him into a vat of molten steel.\n\nDawn of X\nIn the new status quo for mutants post House of X and Powers of X, Professor X and Magneto invite all mutants to live on Krakoa and welcome even former enemies into their fold. Kyle Gibney joins a loose group of outcast mutants, operating under Mister Sinister: the Hellions, which also comprise Havok, Kwannon, Empath, John Greycrow, Nanny and Orphan Maker.\n\nPowers and abilities\nKyle Gibney is a mutant who was experimented upon, genetically engineered by Secret Empire scientists using DNA replicated from Wyre. He has superhumanly acute senses, as well as superhuman speed, agility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance. His teeth and nails are hardened and strong enough to rend substances as thick as bone. His body heals at a rate several times greater than that of a normal human being but not at the rate of Sabretooth's healing factor. He also has various animal-like mutations common for \"feral\" mutants: leaf-shaped ears; eyes with neither pupils nor irises; sharper-than-normal teeth with pronounced, fang-like canines; and elongated fingernails and toenails which can be used as claw-like weapons, as well as his hunched body posture. He is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant with both special ops and martial arts training from Wolverine as well as the Canadian government's superhero Flight program, and is also trained in acrobatics and gymnastics. In his bestial rages, he relies more on sheer ferocity than fighting skill. As Wildheart, the savage, bestial side of his personality was suppressed by an unknown drug, but his savage self still threatened to overwhelm his sanity at all times.\n\nAs a result of injuries suffered at the hands of Sabretooth, who prevented him from getting medical treatment, Wildchild was mute for a time. However, along with his renewed powers, he seems to have regained the ability to speak as well.\n\nOther versions\n\nAge of Apocalypse\nIn the Age of Apocalypse alternate timeline, Wild Child was a member of the X-Men and was frequently partnered with Sabretooth. Wild Child possessed a low level of intelligence (comparable to that of a dog) and an inability to communicate verbally. As such, he was kept on a chain leash to prevent him from harming any of the X-Men. For a time, he was Sabretooth's sidekick, as Creed had rescued Wild Child from being a prisoner of Apocalypse's son Holocaust but his current fate is unknown. The 2005 Handbook to the Age of Apocalypse states that Kyle is away on a secret mission with the other X-Men who were not present during the Age of Apocalypse 10th Anniversary Limited Series, though when Sabretooth and Blink revisited their home reality during a mission as Exiles, Magneto and Rogue revealed to them that Kyle had run away after Victor and Clarice had disappeared when they were taken away by the Tallus. He was eventually found and claimed by Quentin Quire. He then moved to the latter's reality to replace its deceased Wild Child, who was not supposed to have died.\n\nWild Child has since been returned to the Age of Apocalypse timeline as he is seen following and later confronting the X-Force. He is killed while, along with the X-Men from his world and X-Force, trying to stop Archangel's genocidal plans on Earth-616.\n\nHouse of M\nIn the House of M reality, Wild Child (alongside Arclight and Mentallo) is a Red Guard member positioned in Australia to serve Exodus.\n\nMutant X\nIn the Mutant X alternate reality, Wild Child roams the wilds of Canada, feral, along with that reality's version of Sabretooth and Wolverine, both as feral as he. They operated under the name \"The Pack.\" For a time, the hero known as the Brute ran with them.\n\nWeapon X: Days of Future Now\nKyle is still a part of the splinter group of Weapon X, run by Brent Jackson.\n\nUltimate Marvel\nThe Ultimate Marvel version of Wild Child appears in Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #2. He and a few of his soldiers were tracking Wolverine's son, Jimmy Hudson to kill his adopted parents, the Hudsons: James Hudson and Heather Hudson. Jimmy pounces but is almost killed by Wild Child till Quicksilver appears and twists his neck around.\n\nIn other media\n\nTelevision\n Wild Child appeared in the X-Men episode \"One Man's Worth.\" He has the look of the AoA Wild Child and is a member of Magneto's Mutant Resistance.\n\nToys\nThe Age of Apocalypse version of Wild Child was also made into a non-posable figure pack-in with Sabretooth for the Age of Apocalypse toyline manufactured by ToyBiz.\n\nThe Age of Apocalypse version Wild Child was produced by Hasbro. The figure is 1:12th in scale (6-inch), released as part of The Marvel Legends brand. It is one of 7 figures released in the Sugar Man Build A Figure Wave.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n AlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry on Wild Child\n Wild Child at Marvel.com\n UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on Wild Child\n\nComics characters introduced in 1983\nCharacters created by John Byrne (comics)\nFictional Canadian people\nMarvel Comics characters with accelerated healing\nMarvel Comics characters with superhuman strength\nMarvel Comics mutants\nMarvel Comics mutates\nMarvel Comics superheroes\nMarvel Comics supervillains\nWolverine (comics) characters\nX-Factor (comics)",
"A mathematical problem is wild if it contains the problem of classifying pairs of square matrices up to simultaneous similarity. Examples of wild problems are classifying indecomposable representations of any quiver that is neither a Dynkin quiver (i.e. the underlying undirected graph of the quiver is a (finite) Dynkin diagram) nor a Euclidean quiver (i.e., the underlying undirected graph of the quiver is an affine Dynkin diagram).\n\nNecessary and sufficient conditions have been proposed to check the simultaneously block triangularization and diagonalization of a finite set of matrices under the assumption that each matrix is diagonalizable over the field of the complex numbers.\n\nReferences \n\nLinear algebra\nRepresentation theory"
]
|
|
[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,",
"Did he earn a degree?",
"I don't know.",
"What did he do for entertainment?",
"Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a \"wild child\".",
"Are there any examples of him being a wild child?",
"He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends,"
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Was he ever arrested? | 6 | Was Prince Harry ever arrested? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | false | [
"Born in Syria, Mohammed Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi () became a Spanish accountant while living between Spain and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia he was known as accountant for the al-Faisal branch of the Saudi royal family, which included Prince Turki al-Faisal.\n\nIn Spain, he is accused of transferring funds totaling nearly a million dollars from several corporations he was involved with that accepted donations, to Al-Qaeda members, including Mamoun Darkazanli and Nabil Sayadi. He was arrested by Spanish authorities on April 23, 2002.\n\nHe was described as \"Al Qaeda's financier\" by The Wall Street Journal.\n\nMohammed Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi's brother-in-law, Abu-Khalid al-Suri, was Al-Qaeda's representative in Syria and received funding from the Qatar-based terrorist Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi, cofounder of Alkarama.\n\n2019 arrest for terrorism financing \nOn 19 June 2019, Mohammed Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi was arrested by Spanish police as part of \"Operation Wamor\", which involved 350 police officers across Spain and Europol anti-terrorism agents. Those arrested were described by Europol as \"part of a huge international clandestine structure, with the aim of attacking the Western economic system as a form of terrorism \".\n\nHe was arrested alongside several members of the Kutayni family, who created a web of companies to fund Al-Qaeda operations in Syria. According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, he acted as the \"financial director\" of the terrorist network, which was the largest ever uncovered in Spain.\n\nLinks with the Muslim Brotherhood \nFares Kutayni, who was arrested with Mohammed Galeb Kalaje Zouaydi, is a representative of the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain, which is related to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Spanish media, the Kutayni clan is also related to Riay Tatary Bakry, President of the Islamic Commission of Spain, who is \"considered to be ideologically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood\".\n\nReferences\n\nSpanish businesspeople\nLiving people\nYear of birth missing (living people)",
"William Raymond Nesbit (June 1, 1899 – August 1983) was an American jewel thief active in the 1930s. He was born in Marshalltown, Iowa.\n\nBackground\nOn December 31, 1936, he killed fellow thief Harold Baker in a gunpowder explosion in Minnehaha County, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was arrested February 26, 1937, and was convicted and sentenced on May 28, 1937, to life imprisonment, which on February 18, 1946, was commuted to 20 years incarceration. Imprisoned in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he eventually became a \"trusty\" and the personal chauffeur of the warden.\n\nDisappearance and capture\nOn September 4, 1946, he failed to return from running errands, and on December 26, 1946, he was charged in absentia with unlawful flight to avoid confinement. On March 15, 1950, he became the third member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's first-ever FBI ten most wanted fugitives list, and was arrested in a cave in Saint Paul, Minnesota, three days later.\n\nReferences\n\n1899 births\n1983 deaths\nAmerican escapees\nAmerican people convicted of murder\nAmerican prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment\nCriminals from Iowa\nFBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives\nFugitives\nJewel thieves\nPeople convicted of murder by South Dakota\nPeople from Marshalltown, Iowa\nPeople from Sioux Falls, South Dakota\nPrisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by South Dakota",
"Shabir Ahmad Shah popularly known as Shabir Shah (born 14 June 1953), in Kadipora, Anantnag, Kashmir is the founder and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), one of the main separatist political organizations seeking \"right of self-determination\" to Jammu and Kashmir. Having spent 32 years of his life in jails, he is known as the \"Jail Bird\" and recognised by Amnesty International as \"The Prisoner of Conscience.\"\n\nBirth and childhood\n\nBorn in a business family of South Kashmir's Kadipora town in district Anantnag on 14 June 1953. Shabir Ahmad Shah Varrier did his early schooling at Government Middle School, Sarnal, Anantnag and passed a higher secondary examination from M.I. Higher Secondary School, Anantnag but could not continue his studies due to affiliation with various students’ leagues for which was jailed at very early age.\n\nShah's father was Ghulam Mohammad Varrier, who was a Block Development Officer. He apparently died in police custody in 1989.\n\nPersonal life\nShabir is married to Bilquies Shah, and they have two daughters- Sehar shabir shah and Sama shabir shah.\n\nIn December 2021, it was reported that Shah was \"gravely ill\" in prison.\n\nPolitical career\n\nMen’s League to People’s League \n\nShah's political career began in 1968 when at the age of 14, he led a demonstration against the Indian government in Kashmir following which he was arrested and was kept in police lockup for three months. Soon Shabir Shah and his colleagues formed the Young Men's League. He along with the league activists were arrested time and again which affected Shah's education.\n\nDuring his confinement in Central Jail Srinagar, Shah met several resistance leaders including Nazir Ahmad Wani (Al-Fateh), Abdul Majid Pathan (Youth League), Altaf Khan alias Azam Inquilabi (Students Islamic Organization) and other leaders like Ghulam Qadir Hagroo with whom he discussed future plans for fighting for the right to self-determination. While Shabir Shah was still in jail, his associates Nazir Ahmad Wani, S. Hamid, Fazal Haq Qureshi, Abdul Majid Pathan and others formed the Jammu and Kashmir People's League on 3 October 1974, with Nazir Ahmad Wani as its chairman and Abdul Majid its General Secretary. This newly formed organization tool strong exception to the Indra-Abdullah Accord (1975) and organized rallies throughout the State.\nFormation of Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party\n\nImprisonment \n\nShabir Shah was jailed for the first time in 1968, when he was aged 14, for organizing and leading a student demonstration to press the demand for what he claimed as the \"right of self-determination\" for the people of Kashmir. He was arrested and jailed for 3 months and 15 days in Srinagar's Central Jail, thus began his jail journey and has been in and out of jail and under house arrest ever since. Immediately after his release, he resumed his political activities by forming Young Men's League along with his colleagues for which he was arrested at Anantnag and was detained for 8 months in Srinagar's Central Jail. After he was released, he was arrested again in 1971 on the allegation of being a core pro-Pakistan activist and was detained without in the district police lines at Anantnag for 7 months.\n\nIn 1972, Shah organized demonstrations in Jammu and was arrested under the Defence of Indian Rules Act (DIR) and detained in Central Jail, Srinagar for eleven months. During this period, the political scenario of sub-continent was going through a new metamorphosis as Pakistan had split into two and a new state, Bangladesh had emerged. After his release, Shah addressed a rally at Anantnag, demanding freedom for the Kashmiri people and denounced all decisions and agreements like the Shimla Agreement. As a result of it, he was arrested again in May 1973, just five months after his release and subsequently shifted to the Srinagar's Central Jail where he was detained for another 9 months.\n\nIn 1975, Shabir Shah denounced the \"Indira-Abdullah Accord\" signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. He was arrested for 4 months and subsequently confined in Central Jail, Srinagar for another 30 months. After his release in 1978, Shah immediately began his underground political activities.\n\nIn 1980, Shah was re-arrested. He was kept in the sub-jail Kathua and later moved to Central Jail in Srinagar where he was kept for twelve months. He was released towards the end of 1981 but in early 1982 when the People's League launched the Quit Kashmir Movement, he was re-arrested. There were massive demonstrations against his arrest. Life in the valley came to standstill for 5 days. Shah was later released. However, he was re-arrested from the Kailash Hotel and kept in the Kothi Bagh interrogation centre for three and a half months and was kept for another twelve months in Srinagar's Central Jail. Then he was released in 1983. During an international cricket match in Srinagar in October 1983, Shabir Shah led protests against the government and was arrested again in 1984.\n\nWhen Shah was released in 1986, his health had deteriorated and within hours of his release, he addressed a press conference and demanded that the Kashmiri people be given what he calls the \"right of self-determination\". Between April 1988 and August 1989, Shabir Shah remained underground.\n\nOn 21 May 2017 it was known that Shabir Ahmad Shah had resigned as Secretary General of the pro-freedom group, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.\n\nSources\n \n \n \n \n\nAmnesty International prisoners of conscience held by India\nPeople from Jammu and Kashmir\nLiving people\n1953 births\nJammu and Kashmir politicians\nJammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party politicians\nIndian prisoners and detainees"
]
|
|
[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,",
"Did he earn a degree?",
"I don't know.",
"What did he do for entertainment?",
"Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a \"wild child\".",
"Are there any examples of him being a wild child?",
"He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends,",
"Was he ever arrested?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Did he ever meet a girl or date a women? | 7 | Did Prince Harry ever meet a girl or date a women? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, | false | [
"Take Me Out is a dating game show that was presented by comedian Paddy McGuinness. Based on the Australian show Taken Out, it first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and simulcast on TV3 in the Republic of Ireland on 2 January 2010. An unscreened pilot episode was made for Channel 4 in 2009, but it was ITV who picked it up for a series. The show was produced by Thames (formerly Talkback Thames).\n\nThe first series was recorded at Granada Studios in Manchester, but all series thereafter were recorded at The Maidstone Studios in Maidstone, Kent, as it offered increased space and capacity for audience members.\n\nIn 2012, the show introduced a spin-off show entitled Take Me Out: The Gossip, which aired on ITV2 and was co-hosted by Zoe Hardman and Mark Wright in 2012 and 2013. It did not air in 2014, but returned in 2015 with Wright joined by new co-host Laura Jackson.\n\nOn 10 February 2020, ITV announced that the show was axed after eleven series. Eight couples who met on the show subsequently got married and six babies were born to contestants who met on the show.\n\nFormat\nThe objective of the show was for a single man to obtain a date with one of thirty single women. The women stood on a stage underneath thirty white lights, each with a button in front of them. A single man was then brought down on stage via the 'Love Lift' and tried to persuade the women to agree to be his date in a series of rounds, playing a prerecorded video discussing his background, displaying a skill (such as dancing or playing a musical instrument), or playing another video in which the man's friends or family reveal more about his virtues and philosophy.\n\nAt any point during the rounds, the women could press the button in front of them to turn off their light if they did not want a date with the man. If this occurs, their area of the stage turned red. If, at the end of three rounds, there were still lights left on, the bachelor would turn off all but two of the remaining lights himself. He would then have a chance to ask one question to the last two women, before choosing which of the women he wanted to go on the date with by turning off one more light. If the man was left with two lights at the end of round 3, he would just ask his question to the two remaining women and if there was only one light left at the end of round 3, he will go on the date with that girl without asking her his question. There were usually four men brought on in the course of a single episode, though on some occasions segments were cut and only three men were shown.\n\nIf all the women turned off their lights before the end of the third round - this was referred to as a \"blackout\" - then the man would have to leave the show without going on a date, accompanied by the Céline Dion version of the hit Eric Carmen song \"All by Myself\". In the first series, the successful couples conducted their date at FERNANDO'S! in Manchester, which is actually Club Bijou on Chapel Street, the outcome of which is shown as part of the following week's show. For the second series, the date took place abroad on the Isle of FERNANDO'S!, a fictional location based in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. Previously the date took place in Cyprus. Successful couples left the programme upstairs on the opposite side of the studio to the 'Love Lift', and a song, usually from the latin pop genre, was played.\n\nComedic value was mostly provided by McGuinness's array of catchphrases such as \"Let the (object) see the (object)\", \"No likey, no lighty!\", \"If you're turned off, turn off\", \"If he's not Mr Right, turn off your light\", \"Get out there, turn one girl off and take one girl out!\", \"Come and get some Paddy love!\", \"The isle of...FERNANDO'S!\".\n\nRound 1\nIn this round the man comes down the love lift. He meets the girls and then says his name and where he is from. Paddy repeats but afterwards with one of catchphrases. Then the girls can turn off their light. From series 7 onwards, they have to write down a 'love at first light' from the girls who had left their lights on.\n\nRound 2\nThis includes a pre-recorded video presented by the man. It sometimes includes interviews with his friends and family. It describes his personality and what they do. At any point the girls can turn off their light.\n\nRound 3\nIn this round the man shows a skill in the studio. Alternately their friend or family can say a secret. At any point the girl can turn off their light.\n\nRound 4\nIn this round the man turns off the lights of the remaining girls until just two are left lit. Alternatively, if there is only one or two girls left from round 3 then round 4 is skipped entirely.\n\nRound 5\nIn this round the man asks the girls who are remaining a question. The man then turns off the light of one girl. Paddy questions the chosen girl if they would rather know the man's 'love at first light' or not. Then they meet, go up the big stairs opposite the love lift and have a backstage interview. Alternatively, if only one girl remains lit from round 3 then the man gets to choose between her and a \"mysterious girl\", who remains unseen until he makes his choice.\n\nEpisodes and ratings\nEpisode viewing figures from BARB.\nKey:\n – Successful dates\n – Got a blackout, but later dated another contestant\n\nSeries 1 (2010)\n\nSeries 2 (2010–11)\n\nSeries 3 (2012)\n\nNotes\n : The date segment of contestant Wen scoring a date with freelance journalist Aaron was axed from the programme.\n : Two blackouts occurred in one programme, becoming the first time this had ever occurred on the show.\n : The studio segment of contestant Judi scoring a date with builder Mike was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Mike was known to the police as a suspected sex offender. Judi did not return to the show.\n : The studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show.\n : Chelsea revealed on the 7 April episode of Take Me Out: The Gossip that she and Ben, the first contestant of the series, were getting married.\n : David set a record for having the highest number of girls left in the final round in the third series, with 27 leaving their light on after round three. Amy Childs also later went on to date David.\n\nSeries 4 (2012)\n\nNotes\n : Ben was the only contestant this series to receive a blackout on the second round.\n : Will and Henry became the first pair of twins to come down the love lift, and go on a double date with their chosen dates.\n : In the final round, Yinka let his little brother, Jono, choose which of the two girls he should pick out of all of the remaining lights.\n : Despite the fact that Myko got a blackout, he later began dating Erica (who originally got a date with Jim from episode 6). Erica admitted that she regretted turning her light off for him.\n : Jase set a record (at the time) for having the highest number of ladies left in the final round in the fourth series, with 23 girls leaving their light on after round three.\n : Jordan became the first contestant in the history of Take Me Out to still have all 30 girls with their lights on in the final round.\n : Damion and Daniella returned to Take Me Out: The Gossip in October, and revealed that they were getting married.\n\nCelebrity Christmas Special (2012)\n\nSeries 5 (2013)\n\nSeries 6 (2014)\n\nSeries 7 (2015)\n\nNotes\n : On the last episode of the series, whilst looking at the dates from the episode, Scott and Kat returned, saying that they were celebrating their 10-week anniversary in Fernando's.\n\nSeries 8 (2016)\n\nChristmas Special (2016)\n\nValentine's Special (2017)\n\nSeries 9 (2017)\n\nSeries 10 (2018)\n\nNotes\n : Bella was going to turn her light off during Round 3 but was so engaged in Phil's performance, she never did.\n\nAnniversary Special (2018)\n\nNotes\n : This episode was a celebrity special, and for the first time ever, females got to pick the males they wanted to date. This was also the show's 100th episode.\n\nGolden Girls Special (2018)\n\nSeries 11 (2019)\n\nTake Me Out: The Gossip\nTake Me Out: The Gossip was a behind-the-scenes sister show that began airing weekly on ITV2 from series 3-5 and 7–9, following the broadcast of the main programme. Most recently, it was presented by Laura Jackson and Mark Wright. Zoe Hardman previously hosted the show with Wright.\n\nA similar format, previously broadcast online, featuring backstage gossip and interviews with the contestants, was regularly made available on itv.com just hours after the broadcast of the main programme.\n\nInternational versions\n\nReception\n\nViewership\nTake Me Out has proven popular with the public, generally pulling over 3 million viewers per episode.\n\nCritical reception\nIn its early days, Take Me Out was reviewed negatively by critics. Shortly after the second series began in December 2010, The Guardians Tim Dowling said that, \"When you strip away its tired, utterly false premise, all that remains of Take Me Out is a lot of flashing lights and some scripted innuendo delivered in a range of regional accents.\" Reviewing the show after the second series concluded in March 2011, Manchester Grouch of Manchester Central wrote: \"ITV should consider renaming the show 'Desperate Moron Lift Disco'\" and concluded the review by comparing it to \"[...]a drunken Saturday night out that ends up in a dodgy club having a quick fumble with that girl from the hairdressers you’ve been eyeing up all week.\" Writing for the Metro during the third series of the show in January 2012, Rachel Tarley said that Take Me Out was the \"death knell for feminism disguised as entertainment\".\n\nHowever, after the beginning of the fifth series in January 2013, Julia Raeside, also writing for The Guardian, admitted that the show had become \"must-see TV\" and was \"a worthy successor to Blind Date\": \"[...]when Take Me Out noisily barged its way on to the Saturday night schedules in 2010, it was too much for me. The little I'd seen of it put me off trying a whole episode. But about a series ago, Take Me Out really started to grow on me. One night, out of sheer laziness, I didn't bother to switch over – and now they've got me. I don't like nightclubs and I cover my upper arms at all times. But the women behind those podiums, however much I fail to identify with them for wanting to be on TV with their armpits constantly on show, make it gripping viewing.\"\n\nJim Brown\n\nWrestler Jim Brown, the first contestant on the first series, was accused of continually harassing his date Caroline Mellor despite the fact that their date did not work out. Caroline claimed to receive numerous phone calls and texts from him for over four months. Jim was later also charged with possession of child pornography on his computer. Prior to this, Jim was caught pleasuring himself in a Wishaw Sports Centre cubicle, which alerted the police to investigate him. On 21 March 2014, Jim was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for flouting a ban on going near children.\n\nDamion Merry\n\nThe studio segment of contestant Chelsea Stewart scoring a date with model Damion Merry caused controversy when broadcast. During the third and final round, it became apparent that Damion used to date reality television series personality Jodie Marsh, and he later told one of the girls who had turned her light off, Lucy Harrold, that he would have picked her, offending all the girls who still had their lights on. It later transpired that not only was Damion not single at the time the programme was filmed, he was also about to marry his girlfriend Sarah Ann Gras; the segment was broadcast a month after the wedding took place. On This Morning, Marsh later denied having ever dated Damion, saying: \"I tell you what, this guy - I went on one date with him, one date...We had pictures in a nightclub, he sold the pictures to the TV show or whoever and gave 'em away and now, it's being told that we had a whole full blown relationship and that I was his ex-girlfriend.\"\n\nRory Alexander\n\nThe studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory Alexander was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show.\n\nJarvis Walters\n\nThe studio segment of contestant Hannah Reville scoring a date with semi-professional footballer Jarvis Walters was axed from the programme.\n\nParam Singh\n\nMany viewers were extremely offended when one of the girls, who had left her light on for contestant Param Singh, made a joke about contestant Param's turban, saying she was interested in him because she could use his turban to store her phone. Despite the fact Param himself took it light-heartedly, many Sikhs found this remark to be extremely offensive. Param later went on to describe the backlash that he received from sections of the Sikh community.\n\nFakery claims\n\nIn 2012, several of the contestants accused the show's producers of telling them whom to choose on each episode. Female contestants complained that they were forced to choose men who they didn't find attractive, while some of the show's male contestants went home without a date after the girls were told not to choose them.\n\n\"The whole thing is totally misleading and leaves a whole lot of people feeling humiliated and exploited afterwards,\" one girl who had appeared on the show told the media.\n\n\"The producers pulled some of the girls in and said, 'If you’re waiting for George Clooney or Brad Pitt, they’re not coming',\"\n\n\"They told us to keep our lights on for the next contestant, who was more than 10 years younger than me. I refused and was taken off.\"\n\nOther female contestants reported that producers had told them to reject certain men even if they liked them because it made better television.\n\nInfluences\n\nTake Me Out is cited by the creators of the website tubecrush.net as being an influence for their website, as they saw it as an example of how the sexual objectification of men had become part of mainstream culture in the UK.\n\n10th series anniversary \nOn 24 February 2018, Take Me Out celebrated its 10th series anniversary on ITV with a special edition of the show where the roles were reversed; with four women choosing from 30 men.\n\nTake Me Out – The Album\nTake Me Out – The Album is a 60-song compilation album, which was released 18 November 2013.\n\nTrack listing\n\nBoard game\nA board game was released on 3 August 2011 by Rocket Games which features host Paddy Mcguinness on the cover of the box. It contains: light and buzzer number unit, 100 single man cards, 50 the power is in your hand cards, 1 single girl pad, 12 isle of FERNANDO'S vouchers, coloured dice and rules.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nFremantleMedia's Site\n\n.\n.\n\n2010s British reality television series\n2010 British television series debuts\n2019 British television series endings\nBritish dating and relationship reality television series\n2010s British game shows\nEnglish-language television shows\nITV game shows\nBritish game shows\nTelevision shows produced by Thames Television\nTelevision series by Fremantle (company)\nBritish television series based on Australian television series",
"\"How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie)\" is a satirical short story by Junot Díaz. The story takes the guise of an instructional manual, purporting to offer advice as to how to act or behave depending upon the ethnicity and social class of the reader’s date.\n\nPlot summary\nDiaz’s dating guide for the Dominican American teenage male takes on the authority of experience by employing a narrator speaking in second person. The story is centered around a young teenage boy giving instructions about readiness for a date. Starting off with removing obvious signs of Dominican “ghetto” culture such as the \"government cheese\", then to approaching the female depending on whether or not she is an “insider” or “outsider”. As the story progresses you see how the narrators words and mannerisms change according to the race of the female. These observations determine his speech and physical approach to them. The narrator constantly shifts descriptions of both the women and the male's ethnicities and social class to where it is very difficult to determine exactly what type of person is speaking or to whom.\n\nAnalysis\nThe narrator's style is said to \"undercut both individuality and objectivity\" by pointing out the different ways to court women or to hide your particular ethnicity. Diaz is not afraid to include small gestures that reveal cultural attitudes, even if these attitudes do not put Dominicans in the best light. When the narrator hides his origin when he gets rid of the Dominican “artifacts” in his apartment. He also recollects on his mother’s experiences of the tear gas from when the Americans invaded the “island”. He also recommends running a hand through your hair like “the white boys do”. Also stereotypical machismo can be seen through this piece as Diaz writes about the narrator’s attitude towards women. However overall, the narrator never allows for all the potential outcomes of the date to outstrip that there is a date to begin with.\n\nAs Diaz himself admits, much of his work is thinly veiled autobiography. His work is definitely fiction, however, and not to be seen as accurately portraying his own life. His life serves as literary inspiration, but he freely embellishes and changes characters, settings, and events. Díaz has commented on his story, saying \"the issue is, is that these tendencies are deeply rooted in our community and that even though there's plenty of people who are not held by these tendencies, there's plenty of people who do not feel compelled to pursue these kind of craziness\".\n\nCharacter(s)\nThe narrator is assumed to be a teenage chamaco living in an urban area. He is trying to win the hearts of local girls. However, because of his upbringing and his culture, he knows he has to hide his identity in order to please a white girl or a halfie. Multiple dimensions of his character are brought out by race.\n\nPublication\nHow to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie) was first published in the December 1995 issue of The New Yorker. The short story was reprinted in the short story anthology Drown in 1996. Díaz read the story for an episode of the radio show, This American Life, which aired on February 27, 1998.\n\nReferences\n\n1995 short stories\nHispanic and Latino American literature\nWorks by Junot Díaz",
"Ileana Sărăroiu () (25 September 1936, Valea Voievozilor, Dâmbovița – 12 May 1979, Unirea, Călărași) was a renowned Romanian singer of traditional and popular folk music, one of the most important Romanian female folk singers. Her masterpieces, according to Romanian experts, are: \"Doi voinici din Valea Mare\" (Two Handsome Lads from the Valea Mare) and \"Unde e Târgoviștea\" (Where is Târgoviște?). The first is a song about two lads who go hunting and encounter two sisters whom they end up marrying. The second is the story of a sad old mother who waits for her son in a train station. She does not see anybody come except a girl who she has never seen before; the girl turns out to be the wife of her son.\n\nWhile singing at a wedding reception, Ileana Sărăroiu suddenly collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm in 1979 at the age of 42.\n\nSongs\nDoi voinici din Valea Mare (Two handsome lads from Valea Mare)\n (Where is Târgoviște?)\nVrei să ne-ntâlnim sâmbătă seară? (Do you want to meet on Saturday evening?)\nCine-a pus cârciuma în drum... (Who made the pub on the road...)\nInimioara cu dor mult (Little heart with much longing)\n (Tonight we will be partying till morning)\nDa-ar naiba in tine dragoste (Love, be damned!)\n (You green leaf, wheat ear)\nFir-ar ceasu' afurisit (That hour, be doomed!)\nPasarica, muta-ti cuibul (Little Bird, move your nest!)\nDe ce oare eu te-am cunoscut (Why did I ever meet you?)\nInima de dor nu stii (Heart, you don't know the longing)\nInima... (Heart...)\n\nReferences\n\n1936 births\n1979 deaths\n20th-century Romanian women singers"
]
|
|
[
"Prince Harry",
"Personal life",
"Did he have any hobbies?",
"Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross.",
"Has he earned any awards?",
"Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family,",
"Did he earn a degree?",
"I don't know.",
"What did he do for entertainment?",
"Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a \"wild child\".",
"Are there any examples of him being a wild child?",
"He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends,",
"Was he ever arrested?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he ever meet a girl or date a women?",
"While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room,"
]
| C_f8c27b63ae6c4269a3b82b7b4b9ce6c3_0 | Did he ever get married? | 8 | Did Prince Harry ever get married? | Prince Harry | Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in underage drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour. In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Paki friend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by then-Leader of the Opposition David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraph as "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive." While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them - royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim whose privacy had been invaded, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun newspaper published the photographs. Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third-most popular member of the royal family, after William and the Queen. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | false | [
"is the Japanese designer who created Hello Kitty.\n\nShe was born in Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she created Hello Kitty at Sanrio in 1974. She left Sanrio in 1976 to get married and has been working as a freelance designer ever since. She did not make a lot of money from Hello Kitty.\n\nThe other characters she has created include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon. She has also published some picture books.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nThe Official Hello Kitty Website\nThe Official Rebecca Bonbon Website\nThe Official Angel Cat Sugar Website\n\n1946 births\nLiving people\nHello Kitty\nArtists from Chiba Prefecture\nJapanese designers",
"Yuri Ponomaryov (; 24 March 1932 – 13 April 2005) was a Russian cosmonaut.\n\nHe married fellow cosmonaut Valentina Ponomaryova in 1972 and the couple had two children before divorcing. As with Valentina, Yuri did not get to fly into space although he did serve on the Soyuz 18 backup crew.\n\nReferences\n\n1932 births\n2005 deaths\nRussian cosmonauts\nSoviet cosmonauts",
"I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall is the 28th studio album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1978. It reached Number 17 on the Country album chart.\n\nBackground\nIn the span of two years, Haggard switched record labels, divorced Bonnie Owens, married backup singer Leona Williams, and moved to Nashville to record with Jimmy Bowen. In the CMT episode of Inside Fame dedicated to Haggard, Owens speculates that Haggard preferred climbing the ladder of success more than being at the top \"'cause he did seem like he did everything he could to fall down again so he could climb back up.\" I'm Always On A Mountain When I Fall was released in June 1978 and performed a career worst chart wise (Capitol's 1977 collection, A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today, had only reached number 28 but had been released after Haggard had left the label), but the album did produce two hits: both the title track and \"It's Been A Great Afternoon\" reached number 2.\n\nReception\n\nAllMusic deems the album \"well worth owning.\"\n\nTrack listing \n\"I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall\" (Chuck Howard) – 2:48\n\"It's Been a Great Afternoon\" (Merle Haggard) – 2:50\n\"Love Me When You Can\" (Haggard) – 3:18\n\"There Won't Be Another Now\" (Red Lane) – 3:50\n\"Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurtin' Me)\" (Hank Cochran) – 3:22\n\"Life of a Rodeo Cowboy\" (Cochran, Jeannie Seely) – 2:57\n\"There Ain't No Good Chain Gang\" (Hal Bynum, Dave Kirby) – 2:55\n\"Dream\" (Haggard) – 2:01\n\"Immigrant\" (Haggard, Kirby) – 3:05\n\"Mama I've Got to Go to Memphis\" (Leona Williams) – 3:03\n\nChart positions\n\nReferences\n\n1978 albums\nMerle Haggard albums\nMCA Records albums"
]
|
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers"
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | Who was Sid's first writer? | 1 | Who was Sid Caesar's first writer? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | false | [
"This is a list of episodes of the TV series Sid the Science Kid.\n\nAs of 2017, Sid the Science Kid has aired and produced a total of 68 half-hour episodes. On March 25, 2013, a film titled Sid the Science Kid: The Movie, premiered on PBS. The show premiered on September 1, 2008 and was last aired on November 15, 2012. This list also includes special episodes as well.\n\nSeries overview\n\nEpisodes\n\nSeason 1 (2008–2009)\n\nSeason 2 (2010–2012)\n\nSpecial episodes\n\nSeason 1\n\nSeason 2\n\nFilm\nSid the Science Kid: The Movie premiered on March 25, 2013 on PBS, and it was released on DVD, iTunes, and in theaters on April 2, 2013.\n\nNotes\n The information for the writer and the director are collected from the opening credits of each episode.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Sid the Science Kid's Official Website\n Where Did I Come From?\n Sid the Science Kid: The Movie on IMDb\n\nSid the Science Kid",
"Curriculum Vitae is a compilation album by recording artists of Nigerian record label Mo' Hits Records. It was released in 2007, by the label. Nigerian record producer Don Jazzy first revealed plans for a label collaborative album in 2006. Curriculum Vitae was supported by five singles—\"Why Me\" (Remix), \"Pere\", \"Ololufe\", \"Booty Call\" and \"Move Your Body\". It received positive reviews from music critics and was ranked seventh on Pulse Nigeria's list of the 15 Best Nigerian Pop albums ever released between 1999 and 2016.\n\nBackground\nCurriculum Vitae was recorded between 2005 and 2006. Produced entirely by Don Jazzy, the album features appearances from Mo'Hits All Stars (a collective composed of D'banj, Wande Coal, Dr SID, D'Prince and Kayswitch). The album was commercially and critically successful and songs from it still have cultural and pop relevance to date. Curriculum Vitae was made available for digital download on iTunes in 2009.\n\nTrack listing\n\nPersonnel\n\nMichael Collins Ajereh – executive producer, primary artist \nDapo Daniel Oyebanjo – primary artist, writer\nOluwatobi Wande Ojosipe – primary artist, writer\nSidney Onoriode Esiri – primary artist, writer\nCharles Enebeli – primary artist, writer\nKehinde Oladotun Oyebanjo – primary artist, writer\n\nRelease history\n\nReferences\n\n2007 compilation albums\nAlbums produced by Don Jazzy\nD'banj albums\nYoruba-language albums\nDr SID albums\nDon Jazzy albums"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers? | 2 | Did Sid Caesar have good working relationships with his writers? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | " Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"Dr. Sid Vere is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera Doctors, portrayed by Ashley Rice. Sid made his first appearance on 27 April 2015 as an F2 doctor at the fictional Mill Health Centre. His storylines in the programme have included his relationships with colleagues Ayesha Lee (Laura Rollins) and Zara Carmichael (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) and discovering his brother, Laurence Richards (Rishard Beckett). For his role as Sid, Rice has been nominated for various accolades including Newcomer at the 21st National Television Awards and the British Soap Award for Best Actor in 2017, 2018 and 2019.\n\nCharacterisation\nIn an interview with the BBC, Rice commented on his similarities to Sid, saying: \"Both of us will talk to anyone, and more often than not for a little too long. But I think we do it for different reasons. [Sid] just has to fill the silence. He is smarter than me, and that's always difficult, playing someone more intellectual than you, but he sometimes really struggles to read people so I have to be oblivious to certain things. Most challenging aspect would be his energy. I'm laid back and he's not. Finding it and using that energy well is sometimes tricky, and now having watched some scenes back, I still think it needs more. But we'll get there eventually. I hope.\" When asked for his opinion on his character, Rice stated: \"Oh, he's so annoying, isn't he? I annoy myself playing him sometimes. And despite being quite bright he can completely miss the point sometimes. But he does have a good heart and only wants to do his best. I had a help from the directors in finding and using Sid's nervous energy, one in particular springs to mind.\" He added: \"the hardest part is thinking and speaking as quickly as he does, he doesn't pause for breath. So, if I stutter, pause or drop the ball when I shouldn't, it's back to the top.\"\n\nStorylines\nSid arrives at The Mill in April 2015 as an F2 doctor having completed two prior placements before working there. Heston Carter (Owen Brenman) wants to be Sid's mentor, but Howard Bellamy (Ian Kelsey) allocates him Zara Carmichael (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh). Zara preys upon his insecurities and bullies him, telling him to reconsider his occupation. After being verbally abused by a patient, Sid talks to Heston, finding him easier to talk to than Zara. Sid begins to date colleague Ayesha Lee (Laura Rollins), but when he tries to move the relationship too quickly, Ayesha dumps him. Eventually, Sid leaves The Mill and launches an action against Zara for bullying in the workplace. Several months later, a newly qualified Sid returns to The Mill and takes up a position as a GP. Sid and Zara resolve their differences.\n\nAfter the 2018 Christmas party, Sid goes home with Zara, and the pair have sex. Zara's partner Daniel Granger (Matthew Chambers) sees and does not react. However, when they are at The Mill, Daniel lashes out and punches Sid. Sid collapses at The Mill, and arsenic is found in his blood. Ayesha suspects that he has been poisoned by patient Charlotte Hill (Debra Stephenson).\n\nSid discovers that his parents Estelle (Suzette Llewellyn) and Tye Vere (Daniel Hill) had another child before Sid was born. After reading their confidential medical notes, it is revealed that his brother, Laurence Richards (Rishard Beckett), has Down's syndrome, and that Estelle and Tye left him at the hospital as a newborn. Sid manages to track him down, where Laurence explains that he is happy with his life. When Imogen Hollins (Charlie Clemmow) is in Letherbridge, the pair flirt with each other. When Imogen's mother, Karen Hollins (Jan Pearson), finds out, she is initially unhappy due to Sid's relationship history. However, when Karen's husband Rob Hollins (Chris Walker) persuades her that Sid is a reliable person, Karen sets them up. When Sid and Imogen have sex, he discovers a lump on her breast. He does an inspection, and refers her to a private clinic. Despite Imogen not having cancer, the pair agree that the spark in the relationship has gone due to the incident.\n\nReception\nAt the 21st National Television Awards, Rice was longlisted for the Newcomer award. For his portrayal of Sid, Rice was longlisted for Best Actor at the British Soap Awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He was also shortlisted for Best Male Acting Performance at the 2019 RTS Midlands Awards.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Sid Vere at BBC Online\n\nDoctors (2000 TV series) characters\nFictional physicians\nFictional victims of crime\nTelevision characters introduced in 2015",
"Sid Sumner is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Billy Price, who made his first appearance on 9 May 2019. He is introduced as the son of recurring character Stuart Sumner (Chris Simmons) and joins several established characters when he joins Hollyoaks High. He initially appears as part of the show's high profile far-right extremism storyline in a guest role but was promoted to a series regular after it concluded when the producers began to plot a year-long county lines drug trafficking storyline. \n\nIn addition to the far-right and drug trafficking plots, Sid's other notable storylines include his adoption by Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), his ambitions to become a singer-songwriter, a relationship and later friendship with Juliet Nightingale (Niamh Blackshaw) and his subsequent heartbreak when she comes out as a lesbian and becoming an amputee after his leg is run over by Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) while he is under the influence of ketamine.\n\nCasting and characterisation\nPrice's casting was officially announced on 9 May 2019 as part of the show's ongoing extremism plot starring Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), with news outlets noting that Sid would immediately start making racist comments towards fellow student Imran Maalik. It was subsequently revealed on 17 October 2019 that Price had been promoted to a series regular following the conclusion of the far-right storyline, stating that \"the County Lines plot will be one of Hollyoaks' biggest stories of 2020, involving all of the young characters and the much-loved families. Alongside familiar faces like Romeo, Tom, Charlie and Ella, we'll see Sid closely involved in the dramatic year-long storyline\". Impressed by Price's work during the extremism storyline, the writers decided they wanted to give Sid a big, hard-hitting storyline and develop his character by introducing Connor Callard as his cousin Jordan Price, a drug dealer who would draw Sid into the world of county lines drug trafficking.\n\nStorylines\nWhen Sid's father Stuart moves to Hollyoaks, Sid is enrolled at Hollyoaks High, where he harasses Muslim student Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) after hearing his father argue with Imran's family. Sid then reports Imran to headteacher Sally St. Claire (Annie Wallace) for threatening to blow up the school, which Imran has not done. An investigation is made by the anti-extremist group Prevent into Sid's claim, which is deemed to be malicious. Imran admits to Sally that Sid has been racially abusive towards him. He also launches a prejudiced attack on Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) while he is dressed in drag. Sid later befriends Juliet Quinn (Niamh Blackshaw) and asks her on a date. As he plans to meet Juliet, Stuart asks him to watch Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), who is trying to leave Stuart's far-right extremist group, and ensure he does not leave. Sid disobeys his orders and meets Juliet, allowing Ste to leave briefly. The date ends badly as Sid is cautious about having left Ste. When Juliet returns Sid's wallet to him in front of Stuart, she unintentionally reveals that he left Ste; Stuart then beats Sid as punishment.\n\nAfter Ste attempts to flee to Newcastle, he and Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair) are kidnapped by Stuart and Jonny Baxter (Ray Quinn) and taken to a cliff. Sid, realizing how far his father has gone and wanting to make amends, warns those in attendance at Sami's wedding about Stuart and Jonny's intentions and Sid subsequently accompanies Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter), Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) and Azim Desai (Nav Sidhu) to the cliff to save Ste and Sami. When they arrive, Jonny chases after Ste who has escaped. At the cliff's edge, Stuart accuses Sid of betrayal and as he attempts to push Ste from the cliff, Sid intervenes and pushes Stuart from the cliff, saving Ste and killing Stuart. Sid breaks down in tears and is arrested for Stuart's murder. Sami becomes his lawyer and persuades Sid to tell the truth when he tells the police that he intentionally killed Stuart, believing his life is worthless. When he returns to the village, Leela offers him a home, but he rejects her offer, claiming that he does not deserve her kindness.\n\nSid confesses to Juliet that he is homeless, so Juliet asks teaching assistant Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) to help Sid. She invites Sid to stay at her flat, which Sienna's sister, Liberty Savage (Jessamy Stoddart), and partner, Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward), disagree with. Sid later brings a knife into their home, creating an argument with Liberty and Brody. During the argument, Sienna returns home with Sid's stepmother, Alice (Stacy Liu), who had decided to let him live with her, but she changes her mind upon witnessing the argument. Sid admits to Sienna that he was beaten and robbed and had the knife because he was scared; Sienna relates to Sid and decides to foster him. When Liberty and Brody refuse to accept Sid, he leaves the flat. When Juliet cancels a date with Sid, he begins feeling upset and unloved, and asks drug dealer Liam Donovan (Jude Monk McGowan) for drugs. Liam initially refuses, but eventually relents and the drugs later make Sid ill. Believing Sid is a bad influence, Juliet's brother, James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan), bans Juliet from seeing him and, Sid later sneaks Juliet out of school, they are caught by Juliet's brother Romeo Quinn (Owen Warner), who warns Sid to stay away from Juliet. Sid and Juliet kiss and have sex on Christmas Eve, and later that night, Leela asks Sid if she can foster him; he accepts and moves into her house. Sid then meets with his cousin, Jordan Price (Connor Calland), who offers him drugs. Jordan later reveals that he is involved in a county lines drug trafficking operation, and blackmails both Sid and Juliet into delivering and selling drugs. In order to protect him, Juliet takes charge of the selling so that Sid is not involved. The pair break up when Juliet comes out to Sid, saying that she is a lesbian and has romantic feelings for Peri, which greatly upsets Sid though to two remain close friends.\n\nWhen the school is searched for drugs, Sid hides Juliet's stash in his locker so she isn't incriminated, which causes him to be late for his music exam. The police find Sid's drugs and Jordan forces him to tell Sally they were for personal use and she expels him. Angry and hoping to save Juliet from the operation, Sid reports Jordan to the police, who promises to ruin Sid's life when he learns of his cousin's betrayal. In order to distract his mind from his breakup with Juliet and Jordan, Sid takes ketamine, and collapses on the street, where a distracted Peri drives over his leg. Sid is distraught upon waking up in hospital when Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi) informs his that his leg later has to be amputated in order to prevent infection. He initially refuses the surgery and finds it difficult to come to terms with what has happened to him though, with emotional support from Ste, Peri and Juliet, he eventually agrees to sign the consent form.\n\nAfter a few weeks at a rehab center, Sid returns to the village but struggles to adjust to his new life as a disabled person, leading him to seek advice from Courtney Campbell (Amy Conachan). As he continues physiotherapy, he is comforted by Ste, Leela, Peri and Juliet and goes on to start a band with Brooke Hathaway (Tylan Grant) and Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) who ask for his help when they are hired to play at the wedding of Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) and Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry). As the drug trafficking intensifies, Jordan's boss Victor Brothers (Benjamin O'Mahony) orders Jordan to murder Sid and Juliet, who tried to record Victor so that she could blackmail him and get herself and Sid out of the operation. Jordan meets Sid and Juliet in the café and promises to stand up to Victor, despite knowing that Victor will kill him in retaliation. Sid says a tearful goodbye but Jordan is later accidentally murdered by Ella Richardson (Erin Palmer), while Juliet is subsequently arrested for her role in the operation. Ste helps Sid to grieve for Jordan and he becomes hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to get Juliet out of prison by going after Victor but he is talked down by Ste and James. Sid resumes drug dealing with Victor in order to gather enough information to incriminate him. However, Ollie informs Victor of Sid’s intentions, resulting in Victor cornering Sid in the car park of the Dog in the Pond and stabbing him. Sid is revealed to be alive two weeks later after surviving the attack and working with Ste to help bring Victor down.\n\nDevelopment\n\nExtremism\nWhen discussing why Sid supports his father, Price explained that Sid has been brought up to believe that \"you should always be loyal to your family\" because Stuart intentionally isolated him from others so that he could instill him with his racist views. When Sid betrays Stuart, Price noted that \"Even though Sid didn’t agree with what his dad, Stuart was doing, he still stuck by him, right until the last moment. Sid is very loyal, although misplaced, until it’s at the tipping point\". In an interview with Metro, Price reflected on the moment Sid killed his father in order to save Ste noting that \"I think what’s going through his head is to save Ste, because as much as Ste is part of the group, he’s been groomed into it all. I think him and Sid get quite close towards the end and he feels as if they’re both in kind of the same situation, as Sid’s been brought up in this lifestyle, and Ste’s been dragged into this lifestyle — and there’s no escape for either of them\". He also explains how Sid's upbringing ultimately influences his decision, stating that \"I always say you’re a product of your own environment. Sid’s been brought up around them views. If your parents tell you ‘this is right and this right’ and then you’re going to just believe it, as that’s what your parents say and you think they’re always right.’ ‘I think that plays a huge part in what happens at the end, because — as much as what happens is horrible, it’s kind of relief.\" \n\nFollowing Stuart's death, Price expressed excitement about Sid's future, adding that \"now that his dad’s gone, Sid can find himself as his own person. Get to make his own opinions about life, his own views, and he can like who he wants to like. He has that freedom now to just be his own person, which is really nice because that gives me a chance as an actor and Sid, as a character, to play with all the new stuff that he hasn’t been able to do before. Hollyoaks are definitely exploring his vulnerability quite a lot, so it’s really nice as an actor to be a part of that. There is so much area there for them to explore with Sid — what happened with his dad, the vulnerability, the relationships he’s never been able to have, the views that he used to have that he now needs to get over. There’s literally so much and I think it’ll be a great chance for them to create a new character that everyone wants to get to know\". \n\nOf Sid's first big storyline, Price remarked that he felt \"honoured to have been involved in the far-right story. If you don't tackle problems that occur in everyday life, you're never going to learn and move on from them. If you just beat around the bush, then it could keep happening. I think it's great that a national TV show like Hollyoaks has addressed it. We have a younger audience and we're teaching them this is wrong from a very early age.\"\n\nRelationships\nSid's first romantic connection is with classmate Juliet, with whom he begins a relationship with. However, when Juliet does not feel ready to have sex with him, he labels her frigid which leads to Juliet questioning their relationship and her sexuality in general, and the pair break up. Of this development, Price noted that \"Sid’s not as naïve as everyone thinks. At the minute he’s doing all the chasing with Juliet, but there’s only so much he can do without getting something back, and this is where he starts to realise that maybe that interest is somewhere else\". Sid confesses that he still loves her but she then admits to him that she is a lesbian. Although heartbroken, Sid supports Juliet and promises that it won't change anything between them. Niamh Blackshaw, who plays Juliet, noted that at that point, their dynamic changed from a romantic one to that of a friendship. She stated that Juliet and Sid have a \"really good friendship\", and are \"soul mates rather than lovers\", with \"no romance between them\". When the pair became involved in the county lines storyline, Blackshaw added that without Sid supporting her, Juliet would \"crumble\", adding: \"It's only because the two of them work as a team that they're able to go to a local party, and they manage to do what is asked of them.\"\n\nDrug trafficking\nWhen the county lines storyline was announced, Price stated that he \"was excited and to be a big part of it is a pleasure. It’s the same with the radicalisation storyline, it was so good because it was such a relevant topic that everyone needed to chat about. I’ve been a part of two strong storylines, I’m very, very lucky and honoured because they’re big, big topics in the news\". He later expanded upon some of Sid's decision making adding that \"Sid’s decided to work for Jordan because he just wants to protect Juliet, which is kind of cute. Even though she’s clearly not interested in him, he cares about her and wants her to be alright. He knows what Jordan’s like and knows how manipulative he can be, so Sid’s keeping an eye out for her. Sid doesn’t have any family left apart from Jordan. Sid has been brought up to think that blood is thicker than water\". He also added that Sid feels pressure to save Juliet because \"he thinks she needs to watch herself and watch out for Jordan. But she gets manipulated, she falls in love with that lifestyle and she's trapped in this bubble. Trying to get her out of it is very difficult\". Of the dynamic between Sid and Jordan, Price added that \"you get the vibe that Sid doesn’t want to be working for Jordan and when Jordan asks him to do something, Sid will answer back a bit because he thinks he can. But then he has to put on a front, he has to sell the drugs and deal with bad people. Sid’s getting himself in too deep\".\n\nDisability\nWhen it was announced that Hollyoaks was going to make Sid an amputee following an accident while under the influence of drugs, many television critics expressed their hope that the show would do the storyline justice and would avoid the pitfalls that fellow soaps EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street had fallen into when dealing with disabled characters, especially those played by able-bodied actors, such as finding \"miracle\" cures to get out of exploring the character's experiences, not giving disabled characters as much screen time or important storylines as the other characters, defining a character by their disability or portraying disabled characters as miserable all the time because of their condition. Digital Spy praised Hollyoaks for giving Sid agency by allowing him to make the decision to sign the amputation forms and having him seek out advice and support online.\n\nDescribing what leads Sid to take ketamine in the first place, Price explained that \"Juliet is Sid's best friend, and he was there for her when she told him she was gay so when Sid finds out that she's been with another guy, it seems as if he's not good enough. It hits him hard, and that's when he's ready to just give up on everything\" and that this betrayal, coupled with how Sid is \"terrified\" and \"scared for his life\" of Jordan telling his boss Victor that Sid called the police on Jordan causes Sid to end up \"going down a dark path\" and that \"everything just builds and builds\". Following the amputation, Price notes how the accident affects Sid's mental state, describing how \"Sid was worried about what people thought of him before – however, after this, he feels as though all eyes are on him. All of a sudden people start judging him, and he begins to feel like an outsider\".\n\nMelissa Parker from Digital Spy praised Hollyoaks portrayal of disability because they do not treat \"disabled people as one-dimensional props but as living, breathing people living mundane lives.\" Parker opined that other shows could learn from Hollyoaks, \"especially when it comes to ableism, discrimination in favour of non-disabled people, as this is something that people with disabilities experience every day and is rarely discussed in the media.\"\n\nReferences\n\nHollyoaks characters\nFictional amputees\nFictional drug dealers\nFictional musicians\nMale characters in television\nTeenage characters in television\nTelevision characters introduced in 2019"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\""
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | What was the name of one of Sid's writers? | 3 | What was the name of one of Sid Caesar's writers? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"Sidney \"Sid\" Ralph Bernstein (1907–1993) was chairman of the executive committee of Crain Communications Inc. and had previously served as founding editor and publisher of Advertising Age.\n\nThen-23 year old Sid Bernstein was the first editor of Ad Age, and his \"Con-SID-erations\" column appeared until his death.\n\nBernstein was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Fame in 1989.\n\nThe late Crain senior editor Fred Danzig had described the late chairman of the executive committee as \"the conscience of the business in many ways,\" a statement seconded by Rance Crain, \"son of the founder and now president of the corporation.\"\n\nHe authored This Makes Sense to Me: An Opinionated Editor Speaks Out.\n\nCareer\nA Chicago native, Bernstein began his career as a teen-age \"office boy\" and messenger at the company that became Crain (founded in 1916).\n\nHe used his Con-SID-erations column to make challenges in what The Times called \"outspoken and sometimes outraged tones.\" When he thought that shipping and handling charges are at times unreasonably high, he formed a group of college students who, as a summer project, went with him to factories and attempted to purchase items at list price. He was even challenged and was asked for an S/H fee.\n\nPersonal\nHis undergraduate education was at University of Illinois, and his MBA is from University of Chicago.\n\nHe died Saturday, May 29, 1993.\n\"Mr. Bernstein is survived by his wife, Adele, and a son, Henry.\"\n\nReferences\n\n20th-century American male writers\n20th-century American businesspeople\n1907 births\n1993 deaths",
"Sid Sackson (February 4, 1920 in Chicago – November 6, 2002) was an American board game designer and collector, best known as the creator of the business game Acquire.\n\nCareer\nHis most popular creation is probably the business game Acquire. Other games he designed include Can't Stop and Focus (Domination), which won the prestigious German Spiel des Jahres game design award in 1981.\n\nOther notable works include his books, especially A Gamut of Games and Card Games Around the World; both titles include a large array of rules for games both new and old, and Sackson himself invented a number of the games covered by these works.\n\nFor several years in the mid-1970s, Sid Sackson wrote a monthly column for Strategy & Tactics magazine called “Sackson on Games” in which he reviewed games (other than wargames).\n\nSackson's book collection was arranged in groups of five books so he would know if a book was missing and which one it was.\n\nSackson collected games throughout his life; at the time of his death, his collection was estimated at over 18,000 titles. Many of those were unique, sent to him by hopeful game developers who wanted Sackson's advice. At one point in his life, Sackson turned down an offer to bring his collection elsewhere for permanent safekeeping; the games were sold at a series of auctions after his death, breaking up the collection. Sackson's personal papers are stored at The Strong in Rochester, New York.\n\nHonors\n\nSackson was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame, along with Acquire, in 2011.\n\nHe was honored as a \"famous game designer\" by being featured as the king of diamonds in Flying Buffalo's 2011 Famous Game Designers Playing Card Deck.\n\nGames\nSome of Sackson's notable games include:\nAcquire\nBowling Solitaire\nBuyWord\nCan't Stop\nFields of Action\nFocus\nHaggle\nI'm the Boss!\nNetwork\nPatterns II\nPoke\n\nWorks\n Sackson, Sid, Card Games Around the World, \n Sackson, Sid, A Gamut of Games,\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\n\nExternal links\n \nHistory of the Game of ACQUIRE Acquisition Games Page\nEverything you want to know about the game of ACQUIRE Acquisition Games Page\n \"Sid Sackson Game Collection Auction\", http://boardgames.about.com/cs/sacksonauction/\n \n\n1920 births\n2002 deaths\nBoard game designers\nCard game book writers\nTabletop game writers"
]
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[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,"
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | Did Sid have any other famous writers? | 4 | Did Sid Caesar have any other famous writers other than Woody Allen? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"Sid Sackson (February 4, 1920 in Chicago – November 6, 2002) was an American board game designer and collector, best known as the creator of the business game Acquire.\n\nCareer\nHis most popular creation is probably the business game Acquire. Other games he designed include Can't Stop and Focus (Domination), which won the prestigious German Spiel des Jahres game design award in 1981.\n\nOther notable works include his books, especially A Gamut of Games and Card Games Around the World; both titles include a large array of rules for games both new and old, and Sackson himself invented a number of the games covered by these works.\n\nFor several years in the mid-1970s, Sid Sackson wrote a monthly column for Strategy & Tactics magazine called “Sackson on Games” in which he reviewed games (other than wargames).\n\nSackson's book collection was arranged in groups of five books so he would know if a book was missing and which one it was.\n\nSackson collected games throughout his life; at the time of his death, his collection was estimated at over 18,000 titles. Many of those were unique, sent to him by hopeful game developers who wanted Sackson's advice. At one point in his life, Sackson turned down an offer to bring his collection elsewhere for permanent safekeeping; the games were sold at a series of auctions after his death, breaking up the collection. Sackson's personal papers are stored at The Strong in Rochester, New York.\n\nHonors\n\nSackson was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame, along with Acquire, in 2011.\n\nHe was honored as a \"famous game designer\" by being featured as the king of diamonds in Flying Buffalo's 2011 Famous Game Designers Playing Card Deck.\n\nGames\nSome of Sackson's notable games include:\nAcquire\nBowling Solitaire\nBuyWord\nCan't Stop\nFields of Action\nFocus\nHaggle\nI'm the Boss!\nNetwork\nPatterns II\nPoke\n\nWorks\n Sackson, Sid, Card Games Around the World, \n Sackson, Sid, A Gamut of Games,\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\n\nExternal links\n \nHistory of the Game of ACQUIRE Acquisition Games Page\nEverything you want to know about the game of ACQUIRE Acquisition Games Page\n \"Sid Sackson Game Collection Auction\", http://boardgames.about.com/cs/sacksonauction/\n \n\n1920 births\n2002 deaths\nBoard game designers\nCard game book writers\nTabletop game writers",
"The 1954 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 2, 1954. Incumbent U.S. Senator John L. McClellan was re-elected to a third term in office, after defeating a primary challenge from former Governor of Arkansas Sid McMath.\n\nBecause the Republican Party (or any other party) did not field a candidate in the general election, McClellan's primary victory was tantamount to election.\n\nDemocratic primary\n\nCandidates\nJohn L. McClellan, incumbent Senator\nSid McMath, former Governor of Arkansas from 1949 to 1953\n\nResults\n\nGeneral election\n\nResults\nMcClellan was unopposed in the general election.\n\nSee also\n1954 United States Senate elections\n\nReferences \n\n1954\nArkansas\nUnited States Senate"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,",
"Did Sid have any other famous writers?",
"Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote."
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | What else did Neil Simon have to say about Caesar? | 5 | What else did Neil Simon have to say about Sid Caesar aside from his humor? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"Laughter on the 23rd Floor is a 1993 play by Neil Simon. It focuses on the star and writers of a TV comedy-variety show in the 1950s, inspired by Simon's own early career experience as a junior writer (along with his brother Danny) for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour.\n\nPlot overview\nThe play focuses on Sid Caesar-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show circa 1953, and his staff, including Simon's alter-ego Lucas Brickman, who maintains a running commentary on the writing, fighting, and wacky antics which take place in the writers' room. Max has an ongoing battle with NBC executives, who fear his humor is too sophisticated for Middle America. The play is notable not only for its insider's look at the personalities and processes of television comedy writing, but also for its reflection of the political and social undercurrents of its time, in particular the rise of Joseph McCarthy, relationships between various (European) American ethnicities, and attitudes toward women.\n\nRelation to real life\nLaughter on the 23rd Floor is a roman à clef, with the characters in the play based on Neil Simon's co-writers on Your Show of Shows. Lloyd Rose, in her Washington Post review, noted several of the real-life inspirations: the \"Sid Caesar–inspired Max Prince\", \"hypochondriac Ira (played by Ron Orbach, inspired by Mel Brooks)\" ... and \"fussy Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, inspired by Mel Tolkin) .... There is no character based on Woody Allen.\" Like many Rose attributes \"dryly witty, sane Kenny (John Slattery) as inspired by Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner when it was actually only Gelbart. The Ira Stone character is often misattributed to Allen, as the character in the play is a hypochondriac and Allen went on to use that affectation to great effect in his own comedy career. Simon actually was poking fun at Brooks. The real-life counterparts for each character are:\n\nAccording to Simon, Sid Caesar's writers on the original Your Show of Shows (including Neil Simon and his older brother Danny Simon) held their script sessions at various times on the eleventh and the twelfth floors of an NBC-TV office building; Simon added those numbers together to put his fictional cast on the 23rd floor.\n\nProductions\nLaughter on the 23rd Floor opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 22, 1993 and closed on August 27, 1994 after 320 performances and 24 previews. Directed by Jerry Zaks the cast featured Nathan Lane (Max), Ron Orbach (Ira), Randy Graff (Carol), Mark Linn-Baker (Val), Bitty Schram (Helen), J. K. Simmons (Brian), John Slattery (Kenny), and Lewis J. Stadlen (Milt). The play was first performed at Duke University. Stephen Mailer played Simon's young stand-in Lucas.\n\nPaul Provenza was originally cast as Ira Stone, but was fired prior to opening.\n\nA West End production headed by Gene Wilder opened on October 3, 1996, at the Queen's Theatre, where it ran for five months.\n\nIn April and May, 2011, Laughter on the 23rd Floor received a newly conceived production in Philadelphia at 1812 Productions. This production took place in repertory with an original comedy, Our Show of Shows, an homage to Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. This was the first time Laughter on the 23rd Floor was presented with a companion piece. Neil Simon and Sid Caesar both gave their personal approval for this repertory production, and Eddy Friedfeld, co-author of Sid Caesar's autobiography, Caesar's Hours, served as the dramaturg for both shows. Of the companion piece, Our Show of Shows, Sid Caesar wrote, “To the superb cast and crew of 1812 Productions: Thank you for keeping my legacy alive.”\n\nAdaptation\nLane repeated his role for the 2001 television movie written by Simon and directed by Richard Benjamin. Mark Evanier notes for the movie Simon added a new character, Harry Prince, based on Caesar's brother David and the teleplay \"[uses] almost none of the play.\" The cast included Nathan Lane, Saul Rubinek, Victor Garber, Peri Gilpin, Mark Linn-Baker and Dan Castellaneta.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n\n1993 plays\nBroadway plays\nPlays by Neil Simon\nPlays set in New York City",
"In philosophy and rhetoric, the principle of charity or charitable interpretation requires interpreting a speaker's statements in the most rational way possible and, in the case of any argument, considering its best, strongest possible interpretation. In its narrowest sense, the goal of this methodological principle is to avoid attributing irrationality, logical fallacies, or falsehoods to the others' statements, when a coherent, rational interpretation of the statements is available. According to Simon Blackburn, \"it constrains the interpreter to maximize the truth or rationality in the subject's sayings.\"\n\nApplication\nThe first to state this hermeneutic principle was Rabbi Meir, a tanna of the fourth generation (139–163), who declared, in Arachin 5b: 'A person does not say things without reason'.\nNeil L. Wilson gave the principle its name in 1958–59. Its main area of application, by his lights, is determining the referent of a proper name:How should we set about discovering the significance which a person attaches to a given name? […] Let us suppose that somebody (whom I am calling \"Charles\") makes just the following five assertions containing the name \"Caesar.\" […]\n(1) Caesar conquered Gaul. (Gc) \n(2) Caesar crossed the Rubicon. (Rc) \n(3) Caesar was murdered on the Ides of March. (Mc) \n(4) Caesar was addicted to the use of the ablative absolute. (Ac)\n(5) Caesar was married to Boadicea. (Bc)\n[…] And so we act on what might be called the Principle of Charity. We select as designatum that individual which will make the largest possible number of Charles' statements true. […] We might say the designatum is that individual which satisfies more of the asserted matrices containing the word \"Caesar\" than does any other individual. \nWillard Van Orman Quine and Donald Davidson provide other formulations of the principle of charity. Davidson sometimes referred to it as the principle of rational accommodation. He summarized it: We make maximum sense of the words and thoughts of others when we interpret in a way that optimises agreement. The principle may be invoked to make sense of a speaker's utterances when one is unsure of their meaning. In particular, Quine's use of the principle gives it this latter, wide domain.\n\nSince the time of Quine, other philosophers have formulated at least four versions of the principle of charity. These alternatives may conflict with one another, so which principle to use may depend on the goal of the conversation. The four principles are:\n\nThe other uses words in the ordinary way;\nThe other makes true statements;\nThe other makes valid arguments;\nThe other says something interesting.\n\nA related principle is the principle of humanity, which states that we must assume that another speaker's beliefs and desires are connected to each other and to reality in some way, and attribute to him or her \"the propositional attitudes one supposes one would have oneself in those circumstances\" (Daniel Dennett, \"Mid-Term Examination,\" in The Intentional Stance, p. 343).\n\nSee also\nPardes\nPrinciple of humanity\nPrecautionary principle\nInterpretation (philosophy)\nCooperative principle\nSteelmanning\n\nFootnotes\n\nExternal links\nArticle on the principle of charity at Lander University's Phil department\n\nPrinciples\nRhetoric\nEpistemology\nInterpretation (philosophy)"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,",
"Did Sid have any other famous writers?",
"Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote.",
"What else did Neil Simon have to say about Caesar?",
"The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life.\""
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | What else did his writers have to say about him? | 6 | What else did Sid Caesar's writers have to say about him in addition to being funny? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
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Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"\n\nTrack listing\n Opening Overture\n \"I Get a Kick Out of You\" (Cole Porter)\n \"You Are the Sunshine of My Life\" (Stevie Wonder)\n \"You Will Be My Music\" (Joe Raposo)\n \"Don't Worry 'bout Me\" (Ted Koehler, Rube Bloom)\n \"If\" (David Gates)\n \"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown\" (Jim Croce)\n \"Ol' Man River\" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)\n Famous Monologue\n Saloon Trilogy: \"Last Night When We Were Young\"/\"Violets for Your Furs\"/\"Here's That Rainy Day\" (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg)/(Matt Dennis, Tom Adair)/(Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)\n \"I've Got You Under My Skin\" (Porter)\n \"My Kind of Town\" (Sammy Cahn, Van Heusen)\n \"Let Me Try Again\" (Paul Anka, Cahn, Michel Jourdan)\n \"The Lady Is a Tramp\" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)\n \"My Way\" (Anka, Claude Francois, Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut)\n\nFrank Sinatra's Monologue About the Australian Press\nI do believe this is my interval, as we say... We've been having a marvelous time being chased around the country for three days. You know, I think it's worth mentioning because it's so idiotic, it's so ridiculous what's been happening. We came all the way to Australia because I chose to come here. I haven't been here for a long time and I wanted to come back for a few days. Wait now, wait. I'm not buttering anybody at all. I don't have to. I really don't have to. I like coming here. I like the people. I love your attitude. I like the booze and the beer and everything else that comes into the scene. I also like the way the country's growing and it's a swinging place.\n\nSo we come here and what happens? We gotta run all day long because of the parasites who chase us with automobiles. That's dangerous, too, on the road, you know. Might cause an accident. They won't quit. They wonder why I won't talk to them. I wouldn't drink their water, let alone talk to them. And if any of you folks in the press are in the audience, please quote me properly. Don't mix it up, do it exactly as I'm saying it, please. Write it down very clearly. One idiot called me up and he wanted to know what I had for breakfast. What the hell does he care what I had for breakfast? I was about to tell him what I did after breakfast. Oh, boy, they're murder! We have a name in the States for their counterparts: They're called parasites. Because they take and take and take and never give, absolutely, never give. I don't care what you think about any press in the world, I say they're bums and they'll always be bums, everyone of them. There are just a few exceptions to the rule. Some good editorial writers who don't go out in the street and chase people around. Critics don't bother me, because if I do badly, I know I'm bad before they even write it, and if I'm good, I know I'm good before they write it. It's true. I know best about myself. So, a critic is a critic. He doesn't anger me. It's the scandal man who bugs you, drives you crazy. It's the two-bit-type work that they do. They're pimps. They're just crazy, you know. And the broads who work in the press are the hookers of the press. Need I explain that to you? I might offer them a buck and a half... I'm not sure. I once gave a chick in Washington $2 and I overpaid her, I found out. She didn't even bathe. Imagine what that was like, ha, ha.\n\nNow, it's a good thing I'm not angry. Really. It's a good thing I'm not angry. I couldn't care less. The press of the world never made a person a star who was untalented, nor did they ever hurt any artist who was talented. So we, who have God-given talent, say, \"To hell with them.\" It doesn't make any difference, you know. And I want to say one more thing. From what I see what's happened since I was last here... what, 16 years ago? Twelve years ago. From what I've seen to happen with the type of news that they print in this town shocked me. And do you know what is devastating? It's old-fashioned. It was done in America and England twenty years ago. And they're catching up with it now, with the scandal sheet. They're rags, that's what they are. You use them to train your dog and your parrot. What else do I have to say? Oh, I guess that's it. That'll keep them talking to themselves for a while. I think most of them are a bunch of fags anyway. Never did a hard day's work in their life. I love when they say, \"What do you mean, you won't stand still when I take your picture?\" All of a sudden, they're God. We gotta do what they want us to do. It's incredible. A pox on them... Now, let's get down to some serious business here...\n\nSee also\nConcerts of Frank Sinatra\n\nFrank Sinatra",
"John 1:33 is the 33rd verse in the first chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.\n\nContent\nIn the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort this verse is:\nΚἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν, Ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.\n\nIn the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:\nAnd I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.\n\nThe New International Version translates the passage as:\nI would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'\n\nAnalysis\nMacEvilly comments on the phrase \"I knew Him not,\" saying that since John had been in the wilderness he did not personally know Christ. However\nGod, who sent him to baptize, revealed Jesus apart from the large crowds by divine revelation in the same way that he revealed him in\nhis mother's womb to John. And so John responded with the words of Matthew 3:14, \"I ought to be baptized by you.\"\n\nCommentary from the Church Fathers\nAugustine: \"But who sent John? If we say the Father, we say true; if we say the Son, we say true. But it would be truer to say, the Father and the Son. How then knew he not Him, by Whom he was sent? For if he knew not Him, by Whom he wished to be baptized, it was rash in him to say, I have need to be baptized by Thee. So then he knew Him; and why saith he, I knew Him not?\"\n\nChrysostom: \"When he saith, I knew Him not, he is speaking of time past, not of the time of his baptism, when he forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee.\"\n\nAugustine: \"Let us turn to the other Evangelists, who relate the matter more clearly, and we shall find most satisfactorily, that the dove descended when our Lord ascended from the water. If then the dove descended after baptism, but John said before the baptism, I have need to be baptized of Thee, he knew Him before His baptism also. How then said he, I knew him not, but He which sent me to baptize? Was this the first revelation made to John of Christ's person, or was it not rather a fuller disclosure of what had been already revealed? John knew the Lord to be the Son of God, knew that He would baptize with the Holy Ghost: for before Christ came to the river, many having come together to hear John, he said unto them, He that comes after me is mightier than I: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. (Matt. 3:11) What then? He did not know that our Lord (lest Paul or Peter might say, my baptism, as we find Paul did say, my Gospel,) would have and retain to Himself the power of baptism, the ministering of it however passing to good and bad indiscriminately. What hindrance is the badness of the minister, when the Lord is good? So then we baptize again after John's baptism; after a homicide's we baptize not: because John gave his own baptism, the homicide gives Christ's; which is so holy a sacrament, that not even a homicide's ministration can pollute it. Our Lord could, had He so willed, have given power to any servant of His to give baptism as it were in His own stead; and to the baptism, thus transferred to the servant, have imparted the same power, that it would have had, when given by Himself. But this He did not choose to do; that the hope of the baptized might be directed to Him, Who had baptized them; He wished not the servant to place hope in the servant. And again, had He given this power to servants, there would have been as many baptisms as servants; as there had been the baptism of John, so should we have had the baptism of Paul and of Peter. It is by this power then, which Christ retains in His own possession exclusively, that the unity of the Church is established; of which it is said, My dove is one. (Cant. 6:9) A man may have a baptism besides the dove; but that any besides the dove should profit, is impossible.\"\n\nChrysostom: \"The Father having sent forth a voice proclaiming the Son, the Holy Spirit came besides, bringing the voice upon the head of Christ, in order that no one present might think that what was said of Christ, was said of John. But it will be asked: How was it that the Jews believed not, if they saw the Spirit? Such sights however require the mental vision, rather than the bodily. If those who saw Christ working miracles were so drunken with malice, that they denied what their own eyes had seen, how could the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove overcome their incredulity? Some say however that the sight was not visible to all, but only to John, and the more devotional part. But even if the descent of the Spirit, as a dove, was visible to the outward eye, it does not follow that because all saw it, all understood it. Zacharias himself, Daniel, Ezechiel, and Moses saw many things, appearing to their senses, which no one else saw: and therefore John adds, And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God. He had called Him the Lamb before, and said that He would baptize with the Spirit; but he had no where called Him the Son before.\"\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nOther translations of John 1:33 at BibleHub\n\n01:33"
]
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[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,",
"Did Sid have any other famous writers?",
"Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote.",
"What else did Neil Simon have to say about Caesar?",
"The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life.\"",
"What else did his writers have to say about him?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive"
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | Did Woody Allen end up liking writing for Caesar? | 7 | Did Woody Allen end up liking writing for Sid Caesar? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | false | [
"The Woody Allen Special is a television special that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1969, starring stand-up comedian Woody Allen. Allen hosted and wrote the television special show in which he opens with a standup monologue and acts in a series of comedy skits alongside actress Candice Bergen. He also has a conversation with guest and southern Baptist preacher The Reverend Billy Graham as they talk about religion, faith, and each other. The musical group The 5th Dimension serves as the musical guest.\n\nCast \n Woody Allen as host \n Candice Bergen as various roles\n The 5th Dimension as musical guest\n Billy Graham as special guest\n Barney Martin\n Tony Randall\n\nSummary \nThe special opens with a standup monologue routine given by Allen where he talks about growing up in brooklyn, his relatives, sex, death, and his recent Broadway work with Play It Again, Sam. \n\nFollowing features three sketchs starring Allen and Bergen:\n Play rehearsal sketch\n \"Cupid's Shaft\" \n \"An Original Folk Tale\"\n\nAllen shows a short film he directed in form of a silent movie, similar to that of Charlie Chaplin or Harold Lloyd. \n\nThe 5th Dimension plays a medley of their hits \"Workin' On A Groovy Thing\" and \"Wedding Bell Blues”. \n\nFollowing that Allen has a respectful yet comedic conversation with guest Billy Graham.\n\nProduction \nIn 1969, Allen was fresh off his Broadway play Play it Again, Sam and his directorial debut film Take the Money and Run and was able to write and star in this special for CBS.\n\nReception \nIn NPR critic David Bianculli's review of Woody Allen: A Documentary, he wrote that he wished it had covered Allen's TV work including \"the brilliant 1969 special\".\n\nRamsey Ess wrote a piece on the special in Vulture describing it as \"A very strange combination of elements\" and that \"The Woody Allen Special was a variety show in every sense of the word.\". Ess criticized some of the sketches writing that they \"overstay their welcome, and the nude actor sketch doesn’t really have an ending, but when Woody lands a solid joke, there’s no stopping him. Luckily there are enough of those to make it worth your while.\" He did however praise the standup material and the conversation with Billy Graham writing, \"It’s one of the strangest pairings in all of television and it makes for some really compelling watching.\"\n\nReferences \n\n1969 American television series debuts\n1960s American sketch comedy television series\n1970s American sketch comedy television series\n1960s American variety television series\n1970s American variety television series\nCBS original programming\nEnglish-language television shows\nVariety shows\nWoody Allen",
"The Woody Allen Show is a stand-up comedy film by American comedian Woody Allen released on February 10, 1965. The special was filmed in the UK and distributed by Granada Television. It's thought to be the only complete special featuring Woody Allen that exists on film.\n\nSummary \nThe television special runs 38 minutes in length and the full version isn't available to the public. Only clips have been made available which include classic bits from Allen's previous comedy albums, including Allen's famous comedy bit \"The Moose\".\n\nAllen's comedy albums include:\n\"Woody Allen\" (1964)\n\"Woody Allen Volume 2\" (1965)\n\"The Third Woody Allen Album\" (1968).\n\nProduction \nAllen was in the United Kingdom filming Casino Royale which was released in 1967. During this time Allen recorded a quick half-hour for Granada Television. According to Leo Benedictus from The Guardina, the special might be the only complete standup special from Allen that exists on film.\n\nReception \nThe special was rediscovered in 2013 to which several critics commented on the footage. Ben Brock of IndieWire was impressed by Allen's performing style describing the \"level of energy evident in the way he leaps around the microphone\". Leo Benedictus from The Guardian was complimentary writing \"Allen's style, though mannered, is always relaxed and conversational, which is why it hasn't dated. Most of the laughs in his stories come from their absurd situations or his skillful wordplay, yet he tells them like a modern comedian complaining about lifts\".\n\nExternal links \n\n \n \n \n \n (Fresh Air), June 15, 2009\n\nReferences \n\nStand-up comedy albums\n1960s comedy albums\n1960s spoken word albums\n1965 debut albums\n1965 live albums\nWoody Allen albums\nLive comedy albums\nSpoken word albums by American artists\nLive spoken word albums"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,",
"Did Sid have any other famous writers?",
"Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote.",
"What else did Neil Simon have to say about Caesar?",
"The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life.\"",
"What else did his writers have to say about him?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive",
"Did Woody Allen end up liking writing for Caesar?",
"Allen \"...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity\", although Allen did say that, \"Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer."
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | Did any of his other writers praise Caesar's talent? | 8 | Did any of Sid Caesar's other writers praise his talent other than besides Neil Simon? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be. | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | true | [
"Decimus Laberius (c. 105 BC43 BC) was a Roman eques and writer of mimes (farces).\n\nBiography\nLaberius seems to have been a man of caustic wit, who wrote for his own pleasure. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar ordered him to appear in one of his own plays in a public contest with the actor Publilius Syrus. Laberius pronounced a dignified prologue on the degradation thus thrust on his sixty years, and directed several sharp allusions against the dictator, including apparently predicting Caesar's demise: Needs must he fear, who makes all else adread. Later that day, he added:\n\nNone the first place for ever can retain -\nBut, ever as the topmost round you gain,\nPainful your station there and swift your fall.\n\nCaesar awarded the victory to Publilius, but restored Laberius to his equestrian rank, which he had forfeited by appearing as a mimus. Laberius was the chief of those who introduced the mimus into Latin literature towards the close of the Republican period. He seems to have been a man of learning and culture, but his pieces did not escape the coarseness inherent to the class of literature to which they belonged; and Aulus Gellius accuses him of extravagance in the coining of new words. Horace speaks of him in terms of qualified praise.\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\n An edition and English translation of the surviving fragments of his work by Costas Panayotakis were published in January 2010 as no 46 in Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries ().\n\n100s BC births\n43 BC deaths\nDecimus\nLatin-language writers\nAncient Roman writers\nGolden Age Latin writers",
"Gaius Cassius Parmensis (born c. 74 BC; died 31 or 30 BC in Athens) was a Roman politician and a Latin writer of the late Roman Republic, who belonged to the circle of conspirators against Gaius Julius Caesar.\n\nFamily origins and philosophy\nCassius Parmensis came from that branch of the Roman gens Cassia, that played an important role in the founding of the city of Parma on the Via Aemilia in the second century BC. The ancient commentaries of Horace note that he was a follower of the teachings of Epicurus.\n\nMurder of Julius Caesar and aftermath\nIn the spring of 44 BC Cassius Parmensis participated in the assassination of Caesar by members of the Senate. In 43 BC, following the murder, he became a quaestor and built a fleet which supported Gaius Cassius Longinus against Publius Cornelius Dolabella off the coast of the province of Asia. At the same time he wrote a report to Cicero from Cyprus on the situation, which has been handed down in the latter's correspondence.\n\nIn November of 43 Cassius Parmensis, like many other enemies of Caesar, was declared an outlaw (proscribed) by the triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus. After the defeat of the party of the murderers of Caesar in the Battle of Philippi (autumn of 42 BC), he gathered the remaining military units and was able to bring himself and the undamaged fleet to safety for a while with Sextus Pompeius in Sicily. After the latter's defeat in the year 36 BC, he accompanied the fallen \"naval king\" to Asia Minor, in order to join Anthony during the final battles in Bithynia.\n\nAnthony and Octavian waged a propaganda attack with in part low blows and slanders which preceded the decisive military confrontation for autocratic rule in the Roman Empire. Cassius also took part with intense violent attacks against Caesar's heirs. He asserted that Octavian was of low descent, and was only named his heir due to a homosexual relationship with Caesar. Furthermore, he said that Octavian had wanted to make his only daughter Julia the consort of the rich but \"barbarous\" nobleman Koson of Dacia.\n\nIn 31 BC, Cassius Parmensis fought under Anthony's command at the Battle of Actium. His flight from Octavian's revenge lasted a total of twelve years (which was longer than that of all the other conspirators) but after the fall of Anthony he finally lost every possibility of fleeing, since the adopted son of Caesar now ruled the entire Roman Empire. After the defeat at Actium, he fled to Athens, where, in 30 B.C. at the very latest, he was recognized as the last murderer of Caesar still living and was killed by Lucius Varus under Octavian's orders.\n\nWritings\nAs an author, Cassius Parmensis wrote tragedies, satires, elegies and epigrams, which, in Horace's opinion, were not insignificant. Unfortunately, none of his work has survived. We only know the titles of two tragedies, Thyestes and Brutus, the first of which was allegedly stolen by his murderer Varus. Thyestes was subsequently published as Varus's own work. The style of his letter to Cicero seems above all complicated and pedantic in its flatteries, but also demonstrates a good talent for military observation. As for the common assertion often referring to another location in Horace, that Cassius had been burned to death together with his works, it is probably a mix-up.\n\nMarcus Terentius Varro quotes a verse of Cassius; however, the same verse is also attributed in another place to the poet Lucius Accius:\nNocte intempesta nostram devenit domum\n[Late at night he came into our home]\n\nReferences\n\n70s BC births\n30s BC deaths\n1st-century BC historians\n1st-century BC Romans\n1st-century BC writers\nAncient Roman generals\nAncient Roman politicians\nAncient Roman writers\nAssassinated Roman politicians\nAssassins of Julius Caesar\nParmensis, Gaius\nExecuted ancient Roman people\nGolden Age Latin writers\nLatin-language writers\nRoman quaestors\nRoman Republican praetors\nSenators of the Roman Republic"
]
|
[
"Sid Caesar",
"Working with writers",
"Who was Sid's first writer?",
"I don't know.",
"Did Sid have good working relationships with his writers?",
"\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\"",
"What was the name of one of Sid's writers?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen,",
"Did Sid have any other famous writers?",
"Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote.",
"What else did Neil Simon have to say about Caesar?",
"The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life.\"",
"What else did his writers have to say about him?",
"Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive",
"Did Woody Allen end up liking writing for Caesar?",
"Allen \"...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity\", although Allen did say that, \"Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer.",
"Did any of his other writers praise Caesar's talent?",
"Steve Allen claimed, \"Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be."
]
| C_9ca0ca5c612241489ceb6396e98dfe17_1 | What else did Steve Allen have to say about Sid Caesar? | 9 | What else did Steve Allen have to say about Sid Caesar other than he'd hit comedy writers' aspirations? | Sid Caesar | Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch. In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles." Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life." Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to--at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained: We were able to be urbane. Between us we read every book. Between us we saw every movie. Between us we saw every play on Broadway. You could make jokes about Kafka or Tennessee Williams. We also had dinner together. We went to movies together. We were all friends. And that was very important. We appreciated each other a lot. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).
Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be," said Steve Allen.
His TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was "best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy," who some critics called "television's Charlie Chaplin" and The New York Times refers to as the "comedian of comedians from TV's early days."
Honored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.
Early life
Caesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname "Caesar" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.
Max and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.
By waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and "one-man cheering section." They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.
At 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.
Career
Stage and film
After graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.
During the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Goodman for a TV performance.
Still in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.
After finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.
Television
Caesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.
On February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.
A few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.
Caesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.
In 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.
Style and technique
Caesar was not a stand-up comedian but a "sketch comic, and actor," wrote one historian. "He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word," and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.
His sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar "...was born with the ability to write physical poetry," notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this "silent film" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
Writer Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar "didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy." Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him "...a pure TV comedian." In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: "He was so totally into the scene he never lost it."
Caesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt "he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody." In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that "Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions."
Of his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, "His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable," and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, "Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.
Subjects
Among his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically "skewer the minutiae of domestic life" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.
Contemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: "From Here to Obscurity" (From Here to Eternity), "Aggravation Boulevard" (Sunset Boulevard), "Hat Basterson" (Bat Masterson), and "No West for the Wicked" (Stagecoach).
They also performed some recurring sketches. "The Hickenloopers", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As "The Professor", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, "The Professor" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, "The Professor" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' "The Two Thousand Year Old Man". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was "The Commuters", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch "Sneaking through the Sound Barrier", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Working with writers
Steve Allen claimed, "Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be." While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they "had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well." As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an "inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that "...you wrote situations," instead of jokes, as in "This Is Your Story" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be "Caesar's personal favorite" sketch.
In many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, "Sid does man coming home from business mad." Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was "organized chaos," and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, "...it was a religious experience." To Mel Brooks, "it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times." Naturally there were some explosive episodes: "Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles."
Neil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, "Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays." Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: "The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life."
Some of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen "...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity", although Allen did say that, "Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that." Neil Simon noted that "we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite." As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:
Impact on television
Nachman concludes that "the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television," as they were "studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows." Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was "...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy."
According to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, "He was the first original TV comedy creation." His early shows were the "...gold standard for TV sketch comedy." In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to "the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer," while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that "in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian."
However, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. "The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day," states Nachman, that "...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek." Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: "I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again."
Faded success and personal problems
After nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:
Caesar himself felt, "It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim." Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, "I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages."
In 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol "cold turkey". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.
Later years
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.
In 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, "I'd like to be back every week" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.
In 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.
In 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.
In 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.
In 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a "foreign dub" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
On September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.
In 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called "...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech," Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.
In a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, "Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943." She also pointed out, "You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious." At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.
Personal life
Caesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was "proud to be Jewish" and that "Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first."
Death
Caesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.
On Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, "He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed." Mel Brooks commented, "Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends." Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:
His interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Honors
1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame
In 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the "Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.
References
Further reading
Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.
External links
Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame
1922 births
2014 deaths
People from Yonkers, New York
People from Beverly Hills, California
Male actors from New York City
American autobiographers
American humorists
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American saxophonists
American male saxophonists
Donaldson Award winners
Jewish American male actors
Jewish male comedians
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Coast Guard enlisted
20th-century American male actors
United States Coast Guard Band musicians
Comedians from New York City
Jewish American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
American comics writers
Mad (magazine) people
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
21st-century American Jews
Members of The Lambs Club
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery | false | [
"Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: Your Show of Shows (1950–1954), which was a 90-minute weekly show watched by 60 million people and its successor, Caesar's Hour (1954–1957), both of which influenced later generations of comedians Your Show of Shows and its cast received seven Emmy nominations between the years 1953 and 1954 and tallied two wins. He also acted in movies; he played Coach Calhoun in Grease (1978) and its sequel Grease 2 (1982) and appeared in the films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Silent Movie (1976), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and Vegas Vacation (1997).\n\nCaesar was considered a \"sketch comic\" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered \"avant garde\" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue. Among the writers who wrote for Caesar early in their careers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. \"Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be,\" said Steve Allen.\n\nHis TV shows' subjects included satires of real life events and people, and parodies of popular film genres, theater, television shows, and opera. But unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue was considered sharper, funnier, and more adult-oriented. He was \"best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy,\" who some critics called \"television's Charlie Chaplin\" and The New York Times refers to as the \"comedian of comedians from TV's early days.\"\n\nHonored in numerous ways over 60 years, he was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning twice. He was also a saxophonist and author of several books, including two autobiographies in which he described his career and later struggle to overcome years of alcoholism and addiction to barbiturates.\n\nEarly life\nCaesar was the youngest of three sons. He was Jewish. He was born in Yonkers, New York. His father was Max Ziser (1874–1946) and his mother was Ida (née Raphael) (1887–1975). They likely were from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland. Reports state that the surname \"Caesar\" was given to Max, as a child, by an immigration official at Ellis Island. According to Marian L. Smith, senior historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, there is no known case of a name changed at Ellis Island.\n\nMax and Ida Caesar ran a restaurant, a 24-hour luncheonette.\nBy waiting on tables, their son learned to mimic the patois, rhythm and accents of the diverse clientele, a technique he termed double-talk, which he used throughout his career. He first tried double-talk with a group of Italians, his head barely reaching above the table. They enjoyed it so much that they sent him over to a group of Poles to repeat his native-sounding patter in Polish, and so on with Russians, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Lithuanians, and Bulgarians. Sid Caesar's older brother, David, was his comic mentor and \"one-man cheering section.\" They created their earliest family sketches from movies of the day like Test Pilot and the 1927 silent film Wings.\n\nAt 14, Caesar went to the Catskill Mountains as a saxophonist in the Swingtime Six band with Mike Cifichello and Andrew Galos and occasionally performed in sketches in the Borscht Belt.\n\nCareer\n\nStage and film\nAfter graduating from Yonkers High School in 1939, Caesar left home, intent on a musical career. He arrived in Manhattan and worked as an usher and then a doorman at the Capitol Theater there. He was ineligible to join the musicians' union in New York City until he established residency, but he found work as a saxophonist at the Vacationland Hotel, a resort located in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County, New York. Mentored by Don Appel, the resort's social director, Caesar played in the dance band and learned to perform comedy, doing three shows a week. He audited classes in clarinet and saxophone at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, and was stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where he played in military revues and shows. Caesar was discharged from the service in 1945. Vernon Duke, the composer of Autumn in New York, April in Paris, and Taking a Chance on Love, was at the same base and collaborated with Caesar on musical revues.\n\nDuring the summer of 1942, Caesar met his future wife, Florence Levy, at the Avon Lodge in the Catskills village of Woodridge, New York. They were married on July 17, 1943, and had three children: Michele, Rick and Karen. After joining the musicians' union, he briefly played with Shep Fields, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Art Mooney and Benny Goodman. Later in his career, he performed \"Sing, Sing, Sing\" with Goodman for a TV performance.\n\nStill in the military, Caesar was ordered to Palm Beach, Florida, where Vernon Duke and Howard Dietz were putting together a service revue called Tars and Spars. There he met the civilian director of the show, Max Liebman. When Caesar's comedy got bigger applause than the musical numbers, Liebman asked him to do stand-up bits between the songs. Tars and Spars toured nationally, and became Caesar's first major gig as a comedian. Liebman later produced Caesar's first television series.\n\nAfter finishing his military service in 1945, the Caesars moved to Hollywood. In 1946, Columbia Pictures produced a film version of Tars and Spars in which Caesar reprised his role. The next year, he acted in The Guilt of Janet Ames. He turned down the lead of The Jolson Story as he did not want to be known as an impersonator, and turned down several other offers to play sidekick roles. He soon returned to New York, where he became the opening act for Joe E. Lewis at the Copacabana nightclub. He reunited with Liebman, who guided his stage material and presentation. That job led to a contract with the William Morris Agency and a nationwide tour. Caesar also performed in a Broadway revue, Make Mine Manhattan, which featured The Five Dollar Date—one of his first original pieces, in which he sang, acted, double-talked, pantomimed, and wrote the music. He won a 1948 Donaldson Award for his contributions to the musical.\n\nTelevision\nCaesar's television career began with an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the fall of 1948. In early 1949, Caesar and Liebman met with Pat Weaver, vice president of television at NBC, which led to Caesar's first series, Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The Friday show was simultaneously broadcast on NBC and the DuMont network, and was an immediate success. However, its sponsor, Admiral, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand for its new television sets, so the show was cancelled after 26 weeks—ironically, on account of its runaway success.\n\nOn February 25, 1950, Caesar appeared in the first episode of Your Show of Shows, initially the second half of the two-hour umbrella show, Saturday Night Review; at the end of the 1950–51 season, Your Show of Shows became its own, 90-minute program from the International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and later The Center Theatre at Sixth Avenue and 49th Street. Burgess Meredith hosted the first two shows, and the premiere featured musical guests Gertrude Lawrence, Lily Pons and Robert Merrill. The show was a mix of sketch comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's monologues, musical guests, and large production numbers. Guests included: Jackie Cooper, Robert Preston, Rex Harrison, Eddie Albert, Michael Redgrave, Basil Rathbone, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Page, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Pearl Bailey, Fred Allen, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne and many other stars of the time. It was also responsible for bringing together the comedy team of Caesar, Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many writers also got their break creating the show's sketches, including Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin and Sheldon Keller. Sid Caesar won his first Emmy in 1952. In 1951 and 1952, he was voted the United States' Best Comedian in Motion Picture Dailys TV poll. The show ended after almost 160 episodes on June 5, 1954.\n\nA few months later, Caesar returned with Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch/variety show with Morris, Reiner, Bea Arthur and other members of his former crew. Nanette Fabray replaced Coca, who had left to star in her own short-lived series. Ultimate creative and technical control was now in Caesar's hands, originating from the Center Theater and the weekly budget doubled to $125,000. The premiere on September 27, 1954, featured Gina Lollobrigida. Everything was performed live, including the commercials.\n\nCaesar's Hour was followed by ABC's short-lived Sid Caesar Invites You from January 26 to May 25, 1958. It briefly reunited Caesar, Coca, and Reiner, with Simon and Brooks among the writers.\n\nIn 1963, Caesar appeared on television, on stage, and in the movies. Several As Caesar Sees It specials evolved into the 1963–64 Sid Caesar Show (which alternated with Edie Adams in Here's Edie). He starred with Virginia Martin in the Broadway musical Little Me, with book by Simon, choreography by Bob Fosse, and music by Cy Coleman. Playing eight parts with 32 costume changes, he was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. On film, Caesar and Adams played a husband and wife drawn into a mad race to find buried loot in Stanley Kramer's comedy ensemble It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) which became a box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations.\n\nStyle and technique\nCaesar was not a stand-up comedian but a \"sketch comic, and actor,\" wrote one historian. \"He conjured up ideas and enhanced scenes, but never wrote a word,\" and thereby depended on his writers for dialogue. Caesar was skilled at pantomime, dialects, monologues, foreign language double-talk and general comic acting.\n\nHis sketches were often long, sometimes 10 or 15 minutes, with numerous close-ups showing the expressions on the faces of Caesar and other actors. Caesar relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply spoken dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy, which was standard on TV, his style was considered avant garde. Caesar \"...was born with the ability to write physical poetry,\" notes comedian Steve Allen, a technique like that used for a silent film comedian. An example of this \"silent film\" style is a live sketch with Nanette Fabray, where they both pantomime an argument choreographed to the music of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.\n\nWriter Mel Tolkin stated that Caesar \"didn't like one-line jokes in sketches because he felt that if the joke was a good one, anybody could do it. One-liners would take him away from what drove his personal approach to comedy.\" Larry Gelbart called Caesar's style theatrical, and called him \"...a pure TV comedian.\" In describing his control during the live performances, actress Nanette Fabray recalled that unlike most comedians, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope or Milton Berle, Caesar always stayed in character: \"He was so totally into the scene he never lost it.\"\n\nCaesar was able to pantomime a wide variety of things: a tire, a gumball machine, a lion, a dog, a punching bag, a telephone, an infant, an elevator, a railroad train, a herd of horses, a piano, a rattlesnake and a bottle of seltzer. On the Dick Clark show in 1978, he played a chewing gum machine and a slot machine. He was also able to create imaginary characters. Alfred Hitchcock compared him to Charlie Chaplin, and critic John Crosby felt \"he could wrench laughter out of you with the violence of his great eyes and the sheer immensity of his parody.\" In an article in The Saturday Evening Post in 1953, show business biographer Maurice Zolotow noted that \"Caesar relies upon grunts and grimaces to express a vast range of emotions.\"\n\nOf his double-talk routines, Carl Reiner said, \"His ability to doubletalk every language known to man was impeccable,\" and during one performance Caesar imitated four different languages but with almost no real words. Despite his apparent fluency in many languages, Caesar could actually speak only English and Yiddish. In 2008, Caesar told a USA Today reporter, \"Every language has its own music ... If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song.\" Having developed this mimicry skill, he could create entire monologues using gibberish in numerous languages, as he did in a skit in which he played a German general.\n\nSubjects\nAmong his primary subjects were parodies and spoofs of various film genres, including gangster films, westerns, newspaper dramas, spy movies and other TV shows. Unlike other comedy shows at the time, the dialogue on his shows were considered sharper, funnier and more adult oriented. In his sketches for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, he would also typically \"skewer the minutiae of domestic life\" along with lampooning popular or classic movies.\n\nContemporary movies, foreign movies, theater, television shows and opera were targets of satire by the writing team. Often the publicity generated by the sketches boosted the box office of the original productions. Some notable sketches included: \"From Here to Obscurity\" (From Here to Eternity), \"Aggravation Boulevard\" (Sunset Boulevard), \"Hat Basterson\" (Bat Masterson), and \"No West for the Wicked\" (Stagecoach).\n\nThey also performed some recurring sketches. \"The Hickenloopers\", television's first bickering-couple sketch, predated The Honeymooners. As \"The Professor\", Caesar was the daffy expert who bluffed his way through his interviews with earnest roving reporter Carl Reiner. In its various incarnations, \"The Professor\" could be Gut von Fraidykat (mountain-climbing expert), Ludwig von Spacebrain (space expert), or Ludwig von Henpecked (marriage expert). Later, \"The Professor\" was inspiration for Mel Brooks' \"The Two Thousand Year Old Man\". The most prominent recurring sketch on the show was \"The Commuters\", which featured Caesar, Reiner, and Morris involved with everyday working and suburban life situations. Years later, the sketch \"Sneaking through the Sound Barrier\", a parody of the British film The Sound Barrier, ran continuously as part of a display on supersonic flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.\n\nWorking with writers\n\nSteve Allen claimed, \"Sid's was the show to which all comedy writers aspired. It was the place to be.\" While Caesar did not write his dialogue, he made all final decisions. His writers, such as Mel Brooks, felt they \"had a great instrument in Caesar that we could all play, and we played it very well.\" As for Caesar, Nachman describes him basically as an \"inspired idea man who allowed the writers to take more risks\" than other TV shows. Woody Allen remembers that \"...you wrote situations,\" instead of jokes, as in \"This Is Your Story\" with Carl Reiner, a parody of the popular TV show This is Your Life. It was said to be \"Caesar's personal favorite\" sketch.\n\nIn many cases, sketch dialogue was not even written down, but simply indicated by describing a scene, as in, \"Sid does man coming home from business mad.\" Sometimes, said Larry Gelbart, it was \"organized chaos,\" and when watching the writers create from offstage, felt, \"...it was a religious experience.\" To Mel Brooks, \"it was a zoo. Everyone pitched lines at Sid. Jokes would be changed fifty times.\" Naturally there were some explosive episodes: \"Mr. Caesar once dangled a terrified Mr. Brooks from an 18th-story window until colleagues restrained him. With one punch, he knocked out a horse that had thrown his wife off its back, a scene that Mr. Brooks replayed in his movie Blazing Saddles.\"\n\nNeil Simon recalled that after writing out a sketch and giving it to Caesar, \"Sid would make it ten times funnier than what we wrote. Sid acted everything out, so the sketches we did were like little plays.\" Simon also remembered the impact that working for Caesar had on him: \"The first time I saw Caesar it was like seeing a new country. All other comics were basically doing situations with farcical characters. Caesar was doing life.\"\n\nSome of his writers, like Woody Allen, initially didn't like being among the large team of writers coming up with routines for Caesar, feeling it was too competitive and contributed to hostility among writers. An Allen biographer wrote that Allen \"...chafed under the atmosphere of inspired spontaneity\", although Allen did say that, \"Writing for Caesar was the highest thing you could aspire to—at least as a TV comedy writer. Only the presidency was above that.\" Neil Simon noted that \"we were competitive the way a family is competitive to get dad's attention. We all wanted to be Sid's favorite.\" As part of the competitive atmosphere in The Writer's Room, as it was called, friendship was also critical. Larry Gelbart explained:\n\nImpact on television\nNachman concludes that \"the Caesar shows were the crème de la crème of fifties television,\" as they were \"studded with satire, and their sketches sharper, edgier, more sophisticated than the other variety shows.\" Likewise, historian Susan Murray notes that Caesar was \"...best known as one of the most intelligent and provocative innovators of television comedy.\"\n\nAccording to actress Nanette Fabray, who acted alongside Caesar, \"He was the first original TV comedy creation.\" His early shows were the \"...gold standard for TV sketch comedy.\" In 1951, Newsweek noted that according to \"the opinion of lots of smart people, Caesar is the best that TV has to offer,\" while Zolotow, in his 1953 profile for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that \"in temperament, physique, and technique of operation, Caesar represents a new species of comedian.\"\n\nHowever, his positive impact on television became a negative one for Broadway. Caesar fans preferred to stay home on Saturday nights to watch his show instead of seeing live plays. \"The Caesar show became such a Saturday-night must-see habit—the Saturday Night Live of its day,\" states Nachman, that \"...Broadway producers begged NBC to switch the show to midweek.\" Comedy star Carol Burnett, who later had her own hit TV show, remembers winning tickets to see My Fair Lady on Broadway: \"I gave the tickets to my roommate because I said, Fair Lady's gonna be running for a hundred years, but Sid Caesar is live and I'll never see that again.\"\n\nFaded success and personal problems\nAfter nearly 10 years as a prime-time star of television comedy with Your Show of Shows followed by Caesar's Hour, his stardom ended rapidly and he nearly disappeared from the spotlight. Nachman describes this period:\n\nCaesar himself felt, \"It had all come too fast, was too easy, and he didn't deserve the acclaim.\" Writer Mel Brooks, who also became his close friend, said, \"I know of no other comedian, including Chaplin, who could have done nearly ten years of live television. Nobody's talent was ever more used up than Sid's. He was one of the greatest artists ever born. But over a period of years, television ground him into sausages.\"\n\nIn 1977, after blacking out during a stage performance of Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers in Regina, Saskatchewan, Caesar gave up alcohol \"cold turkey\". In his 1982 autobiography, Where Have I Been?, and his second book, Caesar's Hours, he chronicled his struggle to overcome his alcoholism and addiction to sleeping pills.\n\nLater years\nThroughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caesar continued to make occasional television and theatrical appearances and starred in several movies including Silent Movie and History of the World, Part I (both reuniting him with Mel Brooks), Airport 1975, and as Coach Calhoun in Grease and its sequel Grease 2 in 1982. In 1971, he starred opposite Carol Channing and a young Tommy Lee Jones in the Broadway show Four on a Garden.\n\nIn 1973, Caesar reunited with Imogene Coca for the stage play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, written in 1971 by Neil Simon. Their play opened in Chicago in August 1973. That same year, Caesar and Max Liebman mined their own personal kinescopes from Your Show of Shows (NBC had lost the studio copies) and they produced a feature film Ten From Your Show of Shows, a compilation of some of their best sketches. In 1974, Caesar said, \"I'd like to be back every week\" on TV and appeared in the NBC skit-based comedy television pilot called Hamburgers.\n\nIn 1980, he appeared as a double-talking Japanese father for Mei and Kei's Pink Lady and opposite Jeff Altman in the Pink Lady and Jeff show.\n\nIn 1983, Caesar hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he received a standing ovation at the start of the show and was awarded a plaque at the conclusion of the show declaring him an honorary cast member. He released an exercise video, Sid Caesar's Shape Up!, in 1985. In 1987–89, Caesar appeared as Frosch the Jailer in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1987, Caesar starred in the David Irving film The Emperor's New Clothes with Robert Morse as the Tailor. Caesar remained active by appearing in movies, television and award shows, including the movie The Great Mom Swap in 1995.\n\nIn 1996, the Writers Guild of America, West reunited Caesar with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour for a two-hour panel discussion featuring head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin. The event was taped, broadcast on PBS in the United States and the BBC in the UK, and later released as a DVD titled Caesar's Writers.\n\nIn 1997, he made a guest appearance in Vegas Vacation and, the following year, in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit in 1998 based on a Ray Bradbury novel. Also that year, Caesar joined fellow television icons Bob Hope and Milton Berle at the 50th anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Billy Crystal also paid tribute to Caesar that night when he won an Emmy for hosting that year's Oscar telecast, recalling seeing Caesar doing a parody of Yul Brynner in The King & I on Your Show of Shows. Caesar performed his double-talk in a \"foreign dub\" skit on the November 21, 2001 episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?\n\nOn September 7, 2001, Caesar, Carl Reiner and Nanette Fabray appeared on CNN's live interview program Larry King Live along with actor, comedian and improvisationist Drew Carey.\n\nIn 2003, he joined Edie Adams and Marvin Kaplan at a 40th anniversary celebration for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 2004, Caesar's second autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published, and in 2006, Billy Crystal presented Caesar with the TV Land Awards' Pioneer Award. In what TV Land called \"...a hilarious, heartfelt, multilingual, uncut acceptance speech,\" Caesar performed his double-talk for over five minutes.\n\nIn a November 2009 article in the Toluca Lake, California, Tolucan Times, columnist Greg Crosby described a visit with Caesar and his wife Florence at their home. Of the couple's meeting, Florence said, \"Well, I thought he was nice for the summer ... I thought he would be just a nice boyfriend for the summer. He was cute-looking and tall, over six feet.... I was in my last year at Hunter College; we were still dating when Sid went into the service, the Coast Guard. Luckily he was stationed in New York so we were able to continue seeing each other, even though my parents weren't too happy about it. They never thought he would amount to anything, that he'd never have a real career or make any money. But we were married one year after we met, in July of 1943.\" She also pointed out, \"You know, he's not funny all the time. He can be very serious.\" At the time of the interview, the couple had been married for 66 years. Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010, aged 88.\n\nPersonal life\nCaesar was married to Florence Levy for 67 years until her death in 2010. Caesar asserted that he was \"proud to be Jewish\" and that \"Jews have a good sense of humour. Jews appreciate humour because in their life it's not too funny. We've been trodden down for a long time, thousands of years. So we've had to turn that around because if you take it all too seriously you're going to eat yourself. And we're very good at being self-deprecating. Either we do it or somebody's going to do it for us. We might as well do it first.\"\n\nDeath\nCaesar died on February 12, 2014, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, after a short illness.\n\nOn Caesar's death, Carl Reiner said, \"He was the ultimate, he was the very best sketch artist and comedian that ever existed.\" Mel Brooks commented, \"Sid Caesar was a giant, maybe the best comedian who ever practiced the trade. And I was privileged to be one of his writers and one of his friends.\" Jon Stewart and The Daily Show paid tribute to Caesar at the show's close on February 12, 2014. Vanity Fair republished a brief tribute written by Billy Crystal in August 2005, in which he said of Caesar and his contemporaries:\n\nHis interment was at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence (2010) and survived by his children Karen, Michelle, and Rick, and two grandsons. His son, Dr Richard (Rick) Caesar died several months after his father on July 16, 2014.\n\nFilmography\n\nFilm\n\nTelevision\n\nAwards and nominations\n\nHonors \n 1960: Caesar was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame \n 1985: Caesar was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame\n\nIn 2005, The Humane Society of the United States honored Caesar by establishing the \"Sid Caesar Award for Television Comedy\" among the Genesis Awards given annually to individuals in major news and entertainment media who produce outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. In announcing the 2014 Genesis Award winners on February 14, 2014, the Society paid special homage to Caesar, whom the Society credited as one of its most dedicated supporters.\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\n Sid Caesar and Eddy Friedfeld: Caesar's Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, January 30, 2005.\n\nExternal links\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sid Caesar at the Comedy Hall of Fame\n\n1922 births\n2014 deaths\nPeople from Yonkers, New York\nPeople from Beverly Hills, California\nMale actors from New York City\nAmerican autobiographers\nAmerican humorists\nAmerican male comedians\nAmerican male film actors\nAmerican male musical theatre actors\nAmerican people of Polish-Jewish descent\nAmerican people of Russian-Jewish descent\nAmerican people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent\nAmerican male television actors\nAmerican saxophonists\nAmerican male saxophonists\nDonaldson Award winners\nJewish American male actors\nJewish male comedians\nOutstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners\nUnited States Coast Guard enlisted\n20th-century American male actors\nUnited States Coast Guard Band musicians\nComedians from New York City\nJewish American comedians\nComedians from California\n20th-century American comedians\nAmerican comics writers\nMad (magazine) people\nUnited States Coast Guard personnel of World War II\n21st-century American Jews\nMembers of The Lambs Club\nBurials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery",
"Laughter on the 23rd Floor is a 1993 play by Neil Simon. It focuses on the star and writers of a TV comedy-variety show in the 1950s, inspired by Simon's own early career experience as a junior writer (along with his brother Danny) for Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour.\n\nPlot overview\nThe play focuses on Sid Caesar-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show circa 1953, and his staff, including Simon's alter-ego Lucas Brickman, who maintains a running commentary on the writing, fighting, and wacky antics which take place in the writers' room. Max has an ongoing battle with NBC executives, who fear his humor is too sophisticated for Middle America. The play is notable not only for its insider's look at the personalities and processes of television comedy writing, but also for its reflection of the political and social undercurrents of its time, in particular the rise of Joseph McCarthy, relationships between various (European) American ethnicities, and attitudes toward women.\n\nRelation to real life\nLaughter on the 23rd Floor is a roman à clef, with the characters in the play based on Neil Simon's co-writers on Your Show of Shows. Lloyd Rose, in her Washington Post review, noted several of the real-life inspirations: the \"Sid Caesar–inspired Max Prince\", \"hypochondriac Ira (played by Ron Orbach, inspired by Mel Brooks)\" ... and \"fussy Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, inspired by Mel Tolkin) .... There is no character based on Woody Allen.\" Like many Rose attributes \"dryly witty, sane Kenny (John Slattery) as inspired by Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner when it was actually only Gelbart. The Ira Stone character is often misattributed to Allen, as the character in the play is a hypochondriac and Allen went on to use that affectation to great effect in his own comedy career. Simon actually was poking fun at Brooks. The real-life counterparts for each character are:\n\nAccording to Simon, Sid Caesar's writers on the original Your Show of Shows (including Neil Simon and his older brother Danny Simon) held their script sessions at various times on the eleventh and the twelfth floors of an NBC-TV office building; Simon added those numbers together to put his fictional cast on the 23rd floor.\n\nProductions\nLaughter on the 23rd Floor opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 22, 1993 and closed on August 27, 1994 after 320 performances and 24 previews. Directed by Jerry Zaks the cast featured Nathan Lane (Max), Ron Orbach (Ira), Randy Graff (Carol), Mark Linn-Baker (Val), Bitty Schram (Helen), J. K. Simmons (Brian), John Slattery (Kenny), and Lewis J. Stadlen (Milt). The play was first performed at Duke University. Stephen Mailer played Simon's young stand-in Lucas.\n\nPaul Provenza was originally cast as Ira Stone, but was fired prior to opening.\n\nA West End production headed by Gene Wilder opened on October 3, 1996, at the Queen's Theatre, where it ran for five months.\n\nIn April and May, 2011, Laughter on the 23rd Floor received a newly conceived production in Philadelphia at 1812 Productions. This production took place in repertory with an original comedy, Our Show of Shows, an homage to Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. This was the first time Laughter on the 23rd Floor was presented with a companion piece. Neil Simon and Sid Caesar both gave their personal approval for this repertory production, and Eddy Friedfeld, co-author of Sid Caesar's autobiography, Caesar's Hours, served as the dramaturg for both shows. Of the companion piece, Our Show of Shows, Sid Caesar wrote, “To the superb cast and crew of 1812 Productions: Thank you for keeping my legacy alive.”\n\nAdaptation\nLane repeated his role for the 2001 television movie written by Simon and directed by Richard Benjamin. Mark Evanier notes for the movie Simon added a new character, Harry Prince, based on Caesar's brother David and the teleplay \"[uses] almost none of the play.\" The cast included Nathan Lane, Saul Rubinek, Victor Garber, Peri Gilpin, Mark Linn-Baker and Dan Castellaneta.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n\n1993 plays\nBroadway plays\nPlays by Neil Simon\nPlays set in New York City"
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"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)"
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | What was giant killer? | 1 | What was Rey Mysterio, giant killer? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Thunderdell (), also recorded as Thunderdel, Thunderel, Thundrel, Thunderdale, or Thunderbore, was a two-headed giant of Cornwall slain by Jack the Giant-Killer in the stories of Tabart and others.\n\nJeff Rovin's The Encyclopedia of Monsters (New York: Facts on File, 1989) misspells Thunderdell as \"Thunderel\", and after describing him, proceeds to tell the basic story of \"Jack and the Beanstalk\" with no further mention of \"Thunderel\", despite being the title of the entry. He then refers readers to Cormoran.\n\nAppearance\nIn Jack the Giant Killer, Thunderdell first appeared where he crashed a banquet that was prepared for Jack. During this time, he chanted \"fee fau fum.\" Jack defeats and beheads the two-headed giant with a trick involving the house's moat and drawbridge.\n\nPopular culture\n Thunderdell is in the Monster in My Pocket where his number is #98.\n The Thunderdell name is used for a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story who was portrayed by Bill Barretta. This version is based on the giant from \"Jack and the Beanstalk\".\n\nExternal links\n\n Gandolf.com\n\nArthurian characters\nBritish folklore\nEnglish giants\nFictional giants\nJack the Giant Killer\nCornish folklore",
"Cuz We Can is the third studio album by Rehab. Originally available online in 2002, a pressed copy was released March 13, 2007. It is the last album to feature rapper Brooks Buford as he parted ways soon after this album was released online by him.\n\nBackground\nFollowing the success of their official debut album Southern Discomfort, and coming off Warped Tour, the duo were ready to call it quits. On December 9, 2002, right before he was going to leave Rehab, Brooks Buford released a set of unreleased Rehab songs on his fan page/website that were recorded during and after the Southern Discomfort era that didn't make the album, These songs later became what we know of as Cuz We Can which was what Danny Boone named the album in 2007 when he scrapped some of the initial songs and decided to press it.\n\nTrack listing (2002 Internet release)\n \"Intro (WFUK AM 420)\" - 1:06\n \"Here Come The Demons\" - 2:54\n \"Bonfire\" - 3:59\n \"Busted\" - 4:00\n \"Paranoid\" - 3:55\n \"We Ain't Come To Play\" - 4:14\n \"Run\" - 3:50\n \"E.M.S.\" - 0:42\n \"I've Landed\" - 4:16\n \"No Time To Grieve\" - 3:07\n \"So Green\" - 3:54\n \"Defeated\" - 5:01\n \"Aim To Please (feat. Killer Mike)\" - 4:46\n \"Halftime\" - 0:59\n \"Sleeping Giant (feat. Killer Mike)\" - 3:42\n \"Rehab Function\" - 3:15\n \"Jesus Loves Me\" - 4:04\n \"Him And Her\" - 3:27\n \"Huh What\" - 4:24\n \"Shit On Me\" - 3:21\n \"Jaime\" - 3:43\n \"Amends\" - 4:28\n \"Ballad Of Dusty\" - 3:27\n \"Lawn Chair High (feat. Steaknife)\" - 5:07\n \"That Bad\" - 3:08\n \"Post-Game Show\" - 0:32\n\nTrack listing (2007 pressed copy)\n \"Intro (WFUK AM 420)\" – 1:06\n \"Here Come The Demons\" – 2:54\n \"Bonfire\" – 3:59\n \"We Ain't Come To Play\" – 4:14\n \"Jaime\" – 3:43\n \"Lawn Chair High (feat. Steaknife)\" – 5:07\n \"Interlude\" – 0:41\n \"Paranoid\" – 3:55\n \"Rehab Function\" – 3:15\n \"Run\" – 3:50\n \"Interlude\" – 0:58\n \"Sleeping Giant (feat. Killer Mike)\" – 3:42\n \"Deal With Me\" – 3:27\n \"The Ballad Of Dusty Spires\" – 3:27\n \"Do You\" – 4:24\n \"Then Again\" – 3:21\n \"Amends\" – 4:28\n \"Running For An Earhole\" – 4:12\n \"Sixteen Tons (feat. Steaknife)\" – 4:13\n \"Come On Children\" - 3:30\n \"Love Me Tomorrow\" - 3:44\n \"Just Let Go\" - 3:58\n\nPersonnel\nDanny \"Boone\" Alexander - Vocals\nJason \"Brooks\" Buford - Vocals \nDenny \"Steaknife\" Campbell - Producer, vocals\n\nReferences\n\nRehab (band) albums\n2002 albums"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | when was his unmasking? | 2 | when was Rey Mysterio's unmasking? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Unmasking by U.S. intelligence agencies typically occurs after the United States conducts eavesdropping or other intelligence gathering aimed at foreigners or foreign agents, and the name of a U.S. citizen or entity is incidentally collected. Intelligence reports are then disseminated within the U.S. government, with such names masked to protect those U.S. citizens from invasion of privacy. The names can subsequently be unmasked upon request by authorized U.S. government officials under certain circumstances. Unmaskings occur thousands of times each year, totaling 10,012 in 2019.\n\nJargon\nWhen an intelligence agency spies on foreign citizens or agents, and information about innocent domestic citizens is uncovered even though they are not targets of investigation, that is called \"incidental collection\". If the intelligence agency is operating in a manner designed to protect privacy rights, then it normally addresses incidental collection by using a process called \"minimization\" which includes replacing names of innocent domestic citizens with designations like \"U.S. Person One,\" \"U.S. Person Two,\" et cetera, before the intelligence reports will be distributed within the government.\n\nThere are essentially two types of incidental collection. The first type is when legitimate foreign intelligence targets are speaking about a domestic person. The second type is when a legitimate foreign intelligence target is speaking with a domestic person. If the domestic person information is deemed not to have intelligence value then it is purged from government databases, but otherwise can be disseminated with minimization; in the first type of incidental collection the domestic names will be redacted, and in the second type of incidental collection everything the domestic person says will be redacted. As former CIA official Michael Morrell has put it, \"In the second type of incidental collection, where the U.S. person is actually part of the conversation, typically nothing that U.S. person says can be disseminated.\"\n\nUnited States law\nIn the United States, the various intelligence agencies such as the CIA, FBI and National Counterterrorism Center have their own distinctive minimization procedures and unmasking procedures, which were partially declassified in August 2016. At the National Security Agency (NSA), about 20 people have authority to approve unmasking requests, according to NSA Director Michael S. Rogers. Former FBI Director James Comey said that his agency necessarily has many more than 20 people with unmasking authority, which he attributed to the fact that the scope of the FBI's mission includes domestic affairs.\n\nThe U.S. Government's minimization procedures stem primarily from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Courts interpreting that statute have explained the purposes of minimization:\n\n[M]inimization at the acquisition stage is designed to insure that the communications of nontarget U.S. persons who happen to be using a FISA target's telephone, or who happen to converse with the target about non-foreign intelligence information, are not improperly disseminated. Similarly, minimization at the retention stage is intended to ensure that information acquired, which is not necessary for obtaining, producing, or disseminating foreign intelligence information, be destroyed where feasible. Finally, the dissemination of foreign intelligence information needed for an approved purpose . . . should be restricted to those officials with a need for such information.\n\nThese minimization requirements complement and supplement traditional standards under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. If the surveillance is pursuant to a court order or warrant, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court or FISC) must find that the proposed surveillance meets the statutory minimization requirements for information pertaining to U.S. persons, but intelligence agencies have broad discretion to spy without a court order or warrant, and so they must ensure compliance with those statutory minimization requirements under Section 702 of FISA.\n\nWhen unmasking occurs, it must be based upon a valid reason, and only for the person who requests the unmasking; intelligence reports do not get re-disseminated with the name or statements of the U.S. person unmasked. NSA rules say that unmasking must be \"necessary to understand foreign intelligence information or assess its importance\", or be done with the consent of the U.S. person who would be unmasked, or be pursuant to a finding that the U.S. person is a foreign agent or terrorist, or the unmasked information includes evidence about a crime.\n\nInstances\n\nUnmasking is common. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), 9,217 unmasking requests were fulfilled in 2016, 9,529 in 2017, 16,721 in 2018 and 10,012 in 2019.\n\nUnmasking members of Congress\n\nMembers of Congress have in the past expressed concern that U.S. intelligence agencies have disseminated communications of nontarget U.S. persons (with or without naming them), including when those U.S. persons were members of Congress themselves. For example, in 2015 during the Obama administration, Representative Pete Hoekstra tweeted: \"WSJ report that NSA spied on Congress and Israel communications very disturbing. Actually outrageous. Maybe unprecedented abuse of power.\" Likewise, in 2009, reports emerged that Representative Jane Harman had been involved in a similar incident, also involving Israel, during the George W. Bush administration.\n\nCurrent practice is reportedly for the eight bipartisan leaders in Congress to receive alerts that members of Congress or their aides have been unmasked. Such an alert is known as a \"Gates Notification\" after former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Robert Gates, and they happen as often as once a month.\n\nUnmasking aides to Donald Trump\n\nIn February 2017, during the Trump administration, Michael Flynn resigned his position as National Security Advisor, reportedly after communications he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were unmasked and leaked to the press. Flynn lost his job because the leaks led White House officials to believe that he had misled them about his discussion with Kislyak in December 2016. According to The New York Times, \"The F.B.I. investigated four unidentified Trump campaign aides in those early months...[including]...Michael T. Flynn, Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Mr. Papadopoulos.\"\n\nFormer National Security Advisor Susan Rice made requests to unmask members of the Trump campaign and transition, which she has said were apolitical requests, and only to provide context for intelligence reports. Rice was not the person who unmasked Flynn's conversation with Kislyak, according to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Rice has said that she did unmask Trump aides at a December 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, unrelated to Kislyak or Russia. Fox News has reported that former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power requested 260 unmaskings during 2016, mostly toward the end of the Obama administration, which Power has denied, saying that other people requested some of the unmaskings in her name. Rice's September 2017 testimony before the House Intelligence Committee appeared to allay the concerns of Republicans, with Committee member Mike Conaway stating, \"She was a good witness, answered all our questions. I'm not aware of any reason to bring her back.\"\n\nThe then top Democrat on the committee, Adam Schiff, says the investigation into unmasking is meant to divert attention from probes of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.\n\nThe list of Obama officials who sought to unmask Flynn was declassified by Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. The list includes then Vice President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Obama's then-chief of staff Denis McDonough; in addition, Samantha Power, at the time U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, appears on the unmasking records as having requested Flynn to be unmasked seven times. In May 2020, attorney general Bill Barr appointed U.S. attorney John Bash to examine unmaskings conducted by the Obama administration. The inquiry concluded in October 2020 with no findings of substantive wrongdoing.President Trump has claimed that the unmasking request was an act of espionage since the beginning of his presidency and has been emphatically hyping the probe as a potential October Surprise for the 2020 election. It was also revealed that unmasking requests have significantly increased under the Trump presidency according to statistical transparency reports by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.\n\nUnmasking of sources \n\nIn July 2020, the primary sub-source for the Steele dossier, Russian-trained Ukrainian attorney Igor Danchenko, was unmasked after declassification of the interview report by Attorney General William P. Barr, who \"has repeatedly been accused of abusing his powers to help Mr. Trump politically\". Lindsey Graham had also \"asked the F.B.I. to declassify the interview report\". Immediately after Barr's unmasking of Danchenko, Graham posted it to the Senate Judiciary Committee's web site. The declassification order was criticized by former law enforcement officials as an unmasking that could endanger other sources and make the FBI's work harder. About two weeks after he was unmasked, Danchenko received a subpoena from Alfa-Bank, and his lawyer revealed that his client \"fears for his life\", since Russian agents are known to kill such informers.\n\nSee also\n\n De-anonymization\n Trump Tower wiretapping allegations\n\nReferences\n\nIntelligence operations\nPrivacy of telecommunications",
"David G. Marwell (born 1951) is an American historian and the former director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Marwell received a BA from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in modern European history from Binghamton University.\n\nCareer\nPrior to his work at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. from 1997 to 2000, Marwell was director of the Berlin Document Center from 1988 to 1994 and then executive director of the Assassination Records Review Board.\n\nHe also served as Chief of Investigative Research for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Investigations. In that capacity, Marwell was responsible for conducting historical and forensic research in support of Justice Department prosecution of Nazi war criminals, including Klaus Barbie and Josef Mengele. He has also served as an expert witness and consultant to the governments of Canada and Australia on several war crime prosecutions, and was a member of the Interagency Working Group for Nazi War Criminal Documents. Marwell also serves as President of the Leo Baeck Institute New York|Berlin and on the board of FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics), the Auschwitz Jewish Center, and The Defiant Requiem Foundation.\n\nMarwell's book, MENGELE: Unmasking the \"Angel of Death\" about Josef Mengele was published in January 2020.\n\nWorks\n MENGELE: Unmasking the \"Angel of Death\" Norton & Company, Incorporated, W.W., 2020.\n\nReferences\n\nLiving people\n21st-century American historians\n21st-century American male writers\nBinghamton University alumni\n1951 births\nAmerican male non-fiction writers"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | what happened after that? | 3 | what happened after Rey Mysterio's unmasking? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Don Juan Manuel's Tales of Count Lucanor, in Spanish Libro de los ejemplos del conde Lucanor y de Patronio (Book of the Examples of Count Lucanor and of Patronio), also commonly known as El Conde Lucanor, Libro de Patronio, or Libro de los ejemplos (original Old Castilian: Libro de los enxiemplos del Conde Lucanor et de Patronio), is one of the earliest works of prose in Castilian Spanish. It was first written in 1335.\n\nThe book is divided into four parts. The first and most well-known part is a series of 51 short stories (some no more than a page or two) drawn from various sources, such as Aesop and other classical writers, and Arabic folktales.\n\nTales of Count Lucanor was first printed in 1575 when it was published at Seville under the auspices of Argote de Molina. It was again printed at Madrid in 1642, after which it lay forgotten for nearly two centuries.\n\nPurpose and structure\n\nA didactic, moralistic purpose, which would color so much of the Spanish literature to follow (see Novela picaresca), is the mark of this book. Count Lucanor engages in conversation with his advisor Patronio, putting to him a problem (\"Some man has made me a proposition...\" or \"I fear that such and such person intends to...\") and asking for advice. Patronio responds always with the greatest humility, claiming not to wish to offer advice to so illustrious a person as the Count, but offering to tell him a story of which the Count's problem reminds him. (Thus, the stories are \"examples\" [ejemplos] of wise action.) At the end he advises the Count to do as the protagonist of his story did.\n\nEach chapter ends in more or less the same way, with slight variations on: \"And this pleased the Count greatly and he did just so, and found it well. And Don Johán (Juan) saw that this example was very good, and had it written in this book, and composed the following verses.\" A rhymed couplet closes, giving the moral of the story.\n\nOrigin of stories and influence on later literature\nMany of the stories written in the book are the first examples written in a modern European language of various stories, which many other writers would use in the proceeding centuries. Many of the stories he included were themselves derived from other stories, coming from western and Arab sources.\n\nShakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has the basic elements of Tale 35, \"What Happened to a Young Man Who Married a Strong and Ill-tempered Woman\".\n\nTale 32, \"What Happened to the King and the Tricksters Who Made Cloth\" tells the story that Hans Christian Andersen made popular as The Emperor's New Clothes.\n\nStory 7, \"What Happened to a Woman Named Truhana\", a version of Aesop's The Milkmaid and Her Pail, was claimed by Max Müller to originate in the Hindu cycle Panchatantra.\n\nTale 2, \"What happened to a good Man and his Son, leading a beast to market,\" is the familiar fable The miller, his son and the donkey.\n\nIn 2016, Baroque Decay released a game under the name \"The Count Lucanor\". As well as some protagonists' names, certain events from the books inspired past events in the game.\n\nThe stories\n\nThe book opens with a prologue which introduces the characters of the Count and Patronio. The titles in the following list are those given in Keller and Keating's 1977 translation into English. James York's 1868 translation into English gives a significantly different ordering of the stories and omits the fifty-first.\n\n What Happened to a King and His Favorite \n What Happened to a Good Man and His Son \n How King Richard of England Leapt into the Sea against the Moors\n What a Genoese Said to His Soul When He Was about to Die \n What Happened to a Fox and a Crow Who Had a Piece of Cheese in His Beak\n How the Swallow Warned the Other Birds When She Saw Flax Being Sown \n What Happened to a Woman Named Truhana \n What Happened to a Man Whose Liver Had to Be Washed \n What Happened to Two Horses Which Were Thrown to the Lion \n What Happened to a Man Who on Account of Poverty and Lack of Other Food Was Eating Bitter Lentils \n What Happened to a Dean of Santiago de Compostela and Don Yllán, the Grand Master of Toledo\n What Happened to the Fox and the Rooster \n What Happened to a Man Who Was Hunting Partridges \n The Miracle of Saint Dominick When He Preached against the Usurer \n What Happened to Lorenzo Suárez at the Siege of Seville \n The Reply that count Fernán González Gave to His Relative Núño Laynes \n What Happened to a Very Hungry Man Who Was Half-heartedly Invited to Dinner \n What Happened to Pero Meléndez de Valdés When He Broke His Leg \n What Happened to the Crows and the Owls \n What Happened to a King for Whom a Man Promised to Perform Alchemy \n What Happened to a Young King and a Philosopher to Whom his Father Commended Him \n What Happened to the Lion and the Bull \n How the Ants Provide for Themselves \n What Happened to the King Who Wanted to Test His Three Sons \n What Happened to the Count of Provence and How He Was Freed from Prison by the Advice of Saladin\n What Happened to the Tree of Lies \n What Happened to an Emperor and to Don Alvarfáñez Minaya and Their Wives \n What Happened in Granada to Don Lorenzo Suárez Gallinato When He Beheaded the Renegade Chaplain \n What Happened to a Fox Who Lay down in the Street to Play Dead \n What Happened to King Abenabet of Seville and Ramayquía His Wife \n How a Cardinal Judged between the Canons of Paris and the Friars Minor \n What Happened to the King and the Tricksters Who Made Cloth \n What Happened to Don Juan Manuel's Saker Falcon and an Eagle and a Heron \n What Happened to a Blind Man Who Was Leading Another \n What Happened to a Young Man Who Married a Strong and Ill-tempered Woman\n What Happened to a Merchant When He Found His Son and His Wife Sleeping Together \n What Happened to Count Fernán González with His Men after He Had Won the Battle of Hacinas \n What Happened to a Man Who Was Loaded down with Precious Stones and Drowned in the River \n What Happened to a Man and a Swallow and a Sparrow \n Why the Seneschal of Carcassonne Lost His Soul \n What Happened to a King of Córdova Named Al-Haquem \n What Happened to a Woman of Sham Piety \n What Happened to Good and Evil and the Wise Man and the Madman \n What Happened to Don Pero Núñez the Loyal, to Don Ruy González de Zavallos, and to Don Gutier Roiz de Blaguiello with Don Rodrigo the Generous \n What Happened to a Man Who Became the Devil's Friend and Vassal \n What Happened to a Philosopher who by Accident Went down a Street Where Prostitutes Lived \n What Befell a Moor and His Sister Who Pretended That She Was Timid \n What Happened to a Man Who Tested His Friends \n What Happened to the Man Whom They Cast out Naked on an Island When They Took away from Him the Kingdom He Ruled \n What Happened to Saladin and a Lady, the Wife of a Knight Who Was His Vassal \n What Happened to a Christian King Who Was Very Powerful and Haughty\n\nReferences\n\nNotes\n\nBibliography\n\n Sturm, Harlan\n\n Wacks, David\n\nExternal links\n\nThe Internet Archive provides free access to the 1868 translation by James York.\nJSTOR has the to the 1977 translation by Keller and Keating.\nSelections in English and Spanish (pedagogical edition) with introduction, notes, and bibliography in Open Iberia/América (open access teaching anthology)\n\n14th-century books\nSpanish literature\n1335 books",
"What Happened to Jones may refer to:\n What Happened to Jones (1897 play), a play by George Broadhurst\n What Happened to Jones (1915 film), a lost silent film\n What Happened to Jones (1920 film), a lost silent film\n What Happened to Jones (1926 film), a silent film comedy"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | did he win any titles? | 4 | did Rey Mysterio win any titles? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Laura Golarsa (born 27 November 1967) is a former Italian professional tennis player.\n\nGolarsa was born in Milan and played on the WTA Tour from 1985 to 2001. She did not win any senior titles but did reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1989. Her singles record included victories over Zina Garrison and Jana Novotná. She won six doubles titles on the WTA Tour and reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 23 in August 1995.\n\nWTA career finals\n\nSingles: 1 (runner-up)\n\nDoubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runner-ups)\n\nITF Circuit finals\n\nSingles (6–4)\n\nDoubles (3–3)\n\nExternal links\n \n \n\n1967 births\nHopman Cup competitors\nItalian female tennis players\nLiving people\nTennis players from Milan\nMediterranean Games silver medalists for Italy\nMediterranean Games medalists in tennis\nCompetitors at the 1983 Mediterranean Games",
"Xavier Daufresne (born 24 December 1968 in Lasne) is a former tennis player from Belgium.\n\nDaufresne turned professional in 1988. He did not win any Grand Prix tennis or ATP Tour titles (in either singles or doubles) during his career. The right-hander reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on 21 March 1994, when he was ranked World No. 109.\n\nExternal links\n \n \n\n1968 births\nLiving people\nBelgian male tennis players\nPeople from Lasne\nWalloon sportspeople"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | did he set any records? | 5 | did Rey Mysterio set any records? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Manvel Mamoyan () is an Armenian fitness and bodybuilding trainer, fitness blogger, and three times Guinness World Records holder. He is also a multiple record holder of Armenian Book of Records (Dyutsaznagirk).\n\nBiography\n\nManvel was born on April 6, 1993 in Yerevan. Currently works as fitness and bodybuilding trainer. He has been practising sports since 10, when he started attending Judo classes.\n\nIn 2011-2013 he served in the Armenian Armed Forces.\n\nRecords \n\nUntil 18, Manvel also tried himself in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. Manvel set his 11th record in Armenia when he was only 17. His first record was set in Dyutsaznagirk by doing sit up - abdominal exercise for 2 h. 46 min for 3511 reps. For the second time he appeared in Dyutsaznagirk for the most push-ups with one arm using back of the hand in one minute - 89 reps.\n\n2015-2016 \nAfter returning from the army, Manvel set a Guinness world record in October 23, 2015. He did 27 handstand push-ups in a minute. In order to complete one handstand push-up, Manvel’s elbows had to reach 90 degrees or less and then he had to fully straighten his arms. His legs also had to be straight or cross his ankles. He did the exercise in 48,3 seconds. Manvel didn’t have any injury before his performance, and the record was set. He dedicated his victory to the memory of the Genocide of Armenian and Yazidi people promised to update his record throughout the year.\n\n2016-2017 \nOn 25 August, 2016 Manvel dedicated his record in memory of the victims of the 2016 April Four-Day War unleashed in Nagorno-Karabakh. In response to the murder of Hayk Torosyan, Hrant Gharibyan and his compatriot Kyaram Sloyan by Azeris, Manvel Mamoyan set a new record: however, in August, 2016 he couldn’t exceed the record (84 push-ups) of the Canadian Roy Berger from his first performance in the Freedom Square, Yerevan, by reaching 83 reps. According to the Guinness World Records’ rules the athlete has a right to perform the exercise for 3 sets. Manvel managed to set the desired record from his second performance, after having a rest. By doing push-ups for 86 reps in a minute, the athlete exceeded the previous record and set a record in the Guinness World Records.\n\nIn one his interviews Manvel told about his desire to set 10 records in Guinness World Records in a year, particularly by through the Flag exercise, which was set as a record a few years ago by him and was performed for only 20 seconds. It was included in Dyutsaznagirk. He also mentioned he strives to set records more for Guinness World Records. In 2016 Manvel fell behind 5-6 seconds of setting a new world record and the record was 1 min. 5 sec. 71 millisec.\n\n2017-2018 \nIn 2017 Manvel set 4 records in handstand push-ups. He did the exercise 37 reps in a minute. With this result then he set a new record by doing 37 reps non-stop in a minute. \n\nFor his second record he did the same exercise 55 reps in 3 minutes. However, Manvel's last and most important result was doing push-ups for 352 reps in an hour. According to him, the achieved most result was 300 reps and he wished to surpass that record. \n\nIn 2017 Manvel also set a record for the Most jump squats in one minute (male), with 67 reps per minute.\n\nReferences\n\nBibliography \n \n \n\n1993 births\nLiving people\nGuinness World Records\nSportspeople from Yerevan\nMale bodybuilders",
"3 (sometimes referred to as Emerson, Berry & Palmer) were a short-lived progressive rock band formed by former Emerson, Lake & Palmer members Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and American multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry in 1988.\n\nAfter one album, To the Power of Three, 3 split up. Emerson & Palmer reunited with Greg Lake for 1992's Black Moon and Berry would form Alliance.\n\nThey performed live, as \"Emerson and Palmer\" (Berry was onstage but unnamed), at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988, broadcast on HBO, but only performed a long medley instrumental set including Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein's America, and Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo, which later became an ELP encore in their 1990s concerts. They did not perform any original ELP material without Lake, nor did they perform any 3 songs since the band's label was Geffen Records.\n\n3 performed at live venues to support their album, sometime in 1988. The three studio musicians were sometimes augmented by Paul Keller on guitar, Debra Parks and Jennifer Steele on backing vocals. Their setlist mainly consisted of material from their album, including \"Runaway\" and an extended jam version of the cover song \"Eight Miles High\". The group did a different arrangement of \"Desde La Vida\". The band did long instrumental jams based on music ELP covered including \"Hoedown\" & \"Fanfare for the Common Man\", but did not do any original ELP compositions. A long, elaborate cover of The Four Tops' \"Standing in the Shadows of Love\" was also included in the set.\n\nTwo live albums were released many years later, both on Rock Beat Records: Live Boston 88 (2015) and Live - Rockin' The Ritz (2017).\n\nIn October 2015, Emerson and Berry signed a contract with Frontiers Records to record a follow-up album at last, to be called 3.2. Emerson's death in March of the following year put a halt to that project. However, in July 2018, Berry released (as 3.2) The Rules Have Changed, built from musical ideas contributed by Emerson, but produced and performed entirely by Berry. A second 3.2 album, Third Impression, was released in 2021.\n\nBand members\nKeith Emerson - keyboards (1988–1989)\nRobert Berry - lead vocals, guitars, bass (1988–1989)\nCarl Palmer - drums, percussion (1988–1989)\n\nLive members\nPaul Keller – guitars (1988–1989)\nDebra Parks - backing vocals (1988-1989)\nJennifer Steele – backing vocals (1988–1989)\n\nDiscography\n\nStudio albums\n\nSingle\n\nReferences\n\nSee also\nEmerson, Lake & Palmer\nEmerson, Lake & Powell\n\nEnglish progressive rock groups\nRock music supergroups\nMusical groups established in 1988\nMusical groups disestablished in 1989\nMusical trios"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.",
"did he set any records?",
"Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match,"
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | did he do anything else that gained him fame? | 6 | did Rey Mysterio do anything else that gained him fame along with losing the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"\"If You Can Do Anything Else\" is a song written by Billy Livsey and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in February 2001 as the third and final single from his self-titled album. The song reached number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 2001. It also peaked at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.\n\nContent\nThe song is about man who is giving his woman the option to leave him. He gives her many different options for all the things she can do. At the end he gives her the option to stay with him if she really can’t find anything else to do. He says he will be alright if she leaves, but really it seems he wants her to stay.\n\nChart performance\n\"If You Can Do Anything Else\" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of March 3, 2001.\n\nYear-end charts\n\nReferences\n\n2001 singles\n2000 songs\nGeorge Strait songs\nSongs written by Billy Livsey\nSongs written by Don Schlitz\nSong recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer)\nMCA Nashville Records singles",
"Bob Tallman born Robert Matthew Tallman (born October 25, 1947) is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame American rodeo announcer. He is known as \"the voice of professional rodeo\".\n\nLife\nBob Tallman was born Robert Matthew Tallman on October 25, 1947, in Orovada, Nevada to rancher John B. Tallman and his wife Irene Capelli. Tallman and his sister, Maryanne, grew up on the family's Willow Creek cattle ranch, near Orovada. The Tallmans moved into Winnemucca when Bob was 10 years old. He tried football in high school, but it did not work out athletically. He had a natural talent for golf, but he loved rodeo more, and he could rope. He gained some experience roping in high school and in 4-H. He went to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. He was there to rope, but he cared more about spending time with his friends. He did try to ride bucking horses, but was advised by the Canadian bull rider Bob Robinson, \"find something else\". He attended a rodeo in Fallon, Nevada, circa 1969 where he roped calves. He told the stock contractor that the announcer was, \"pitiful\". The contractor told him to do it when he was done roping. Tallman did and was paid $100 a performance.\n\nCareer\nBob Tallman has announced more than 15,000 rodeo performances in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.\nHe has announced so many rodeos that his voice has become instantly recognizable. Tallman has announced the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, more than any other announcer. He has announced the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for 33 years. He is the spokesman for many cowboy-themed products. He refers to his voice as his \"priceless gift from God\" and tries to use it to touch peoples' lives.\nTelevision: During the 1990s, Bob Tallman co-hosted the ground-breaking reality outdoor show, Spur of the Moment, celebrating rodeo and the western lifestyle. His co-host was champion barrel racer, Sharon Camarillo. The show was produced by Pat Turner, Stacy Ratliff (both from Jimmy Houston Productions), Lee Adelman, and Dan Stewart.\n\nHonors\n Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame\n 2004 ProRodeo Hall of Fame\n 2005 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame\n PRCA ten time Announcer of the Year\n 2006 Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame\n 2007 Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum\n 2017 Bull Riding Hall of Fame\n 2019 Reno Rodeo Hall of Fame\n 2019 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame\n\nPersonal life\nTallman and his wife reside in Poolville, Texas. Tallman raises Angus cows and calves on his ranch.\n\nReferences\n\n1947 births\nLiving people\nRanchers from Texas\nAmerican male film actors\nPeople from Winnemucca, Nevada\nPeople from Weatherford, Texas\nAmerican philanthropists\nProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees\nRodeo announcers\nAmerican evangelicals\n21st-century Christians"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.",
"did he set any records?",
"Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match,",
"did he do anything else that gained him fame?",
"Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag"
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | did he have any conflicts? | 7 | did Rey Mysterio have any conflicts? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Communal conflicts in Nigeria can be divided into two broad categories:\n Ethno-religious conflicts, attributed to actors primarily divided by cultural, ethnic, or religious communities and identities, such as instances of religious violence between Christian and Muslim communities.\n Herder–farmer conflicts, typically involving disputes over land and/or cattle between herders (in particular the Fulani and Hausa) and farmers (in particular the Adara, Berom, Tiv and Tarok).\n\nThe most impacted states are those of the Nigerian Middle Belt like Benue, Taraba and Plateau. Violence has reached two peaks in 2004 and 2011 with around 2,000 fatalities those years. It resulted in more than 700 fatalities in 2015 alone.\n\nCauses \nClimate change played a major role in the migration of Fulani herdsmen.\n\nAfrican countries have been affected the most by climate change globally. This notion has contributed to the migration of Fulani Herdsmen from the North towards southwest Nigeria. As observed from a \"Push and pull\" model, desertification, landslides, droughts, pollution, sand storms, and diseases that have all transpired from climatic changes have led Fulani Herdsmen to leave their communities. This is mostly due to droughts which timespans have persisted longer than anticipated, such as the evaporation of Lake Chad. Moreover, diseases have developed from climatic conditions and is killing the animals of these herdsmen. Thus, many Fulani's, also known as \"the Bororos\", are inclined to migrate south where there is improved vegetation, weather conditions, market opportunities, and hopefulness. Hate speeches and lack of understanding of the importance of peace in a society cause conflict.\n\nHerder–farmer conflicts\n\nSince the Fourth Nigerian Republic's founding in 1999, farmer-herder violence has killed thousands of people and displaced tens of thousands more. Insecurity and violence have led many populations to create self-defence forces and ethnic militias, which have engaged in further violence. The majority of farmer–herder clashes have occurred between Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Christian peasants, exacerbating ethnoreligious hostilities. This violence stems from the relationship between the Bororo Fulani and the Yoruba farmers. Prior to this, the Fulani people had migrated into the southwestern Nigeria region centuries ago. In fact, in the 18th century, three different groups of Fulani had migrated to the city of Iseyin. These groups consisted of the Bangu, Sokoto, and Bororo Fulani. Out of these three groups, the Bororo Fulani in particular were the group to separate themselves from the Yoruba farmers. Meanwhile, the Bangu and Sokoto had developed a working relationship with the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Through this bond, they profited off of each other from the by products of their cattle and agriculture. The Fulani people would trade any commodities they extracted from their cattle to the Yoruba's for their crops. However, the migration of the Bororo Fulani shifted this relationship as they were perceived to be more aggressive than the settled Fulani. This difference was further exacerbated as they did not speak the native Yoruba language unlike the settled Fulani people who did. As the Bororo Fulani pastoralists integrated into this region the cattle they owned started damaging Yoruba farmers' crops and plants. This led to friction to become quite common among these two groups. One case that can be observed was when additional wreckage was pressed into farmers in the city of Iseyin after a group of Bororo Fulani were exiled from the city of Oyo and migrated there in 1998.\n\nAnother conflict the Bororo Fulani have been involved with was in 1804 when the Fulani had a Holy War between those who identified as Muslim and resonated with the Hausas and those that were still associated with the Pagan tribes. The war took place in the northern region of Nigeria. This war led to a dichotomy of two groups of the Fulani. One group amalgamated with the Hausa people and are essentially integrated as Hausas while holding positions of wealth and power. The other group kept their pastoral ways intact and did not intermesh with any other tribes. This is what eventually became the Bororo Fulani which means the Bush or Cow Fulani.\n\nCurrently, the conflict between Fulani herders and other Nigerian farmers have intensified. From 2011 to 2016, roughly 2,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands have been displaced. This is partly due to the rise of jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram. Their presence has jeopardized many herders and farmers that graze in Northern Nigeria. The government has made little efforts to intervene and create schemes to alleviate this conflict. Hence, herders and farmers take it upon themselves to solve the conflicts existing within the community which invigorates conflict.\n\nAbet Fulani Herders \nThe Abet, also known as the Kachichere, are another subgroup of the Fulani. They live in the Abet region of Nigeria after they migrated there in the 18th century. They live in a region for approximately 3 to 5 years before moving another few kilometers within the Abet. Once they establish a homestead, their herds graze within a 3-mile radius. The reason they prefer to graze in the Abet is due to the favorable conditions it holds for their cattle. This stems from the dry season coinciding with the peak of cow fertility and the production of milk. Furthermore, it is easier to herd animals in these open land spaces rather than in condense areas replete of bushes. For land rights in this region, Fulani families may be given rights to parts of the land through customary structures. Thus, land is distributed from Chiefs or those in charge of the villages that these fields reside in.\n\nOther examples\nAdditional instances of ethnic violence in Nigeria exist; these are often urban riots or such, for example the Yoruba-Hausa disturbances in Lagos, the Igbo massacre of 1966 or the clashes between the Itsekiri and the Ijaw in Delta state. Others are land disputes between neighbours, such as clashes between Ile-Ife and Modakeke in the late 1990s and in Ebonyi State in 2011.\n\nSee also\n\n Religious violence in Nigeria\n List of massacres in Nigeria\n Fulani herdsmen\n List of ongoing armed conflicts\n Sudanese nomadic conflicts\n Warri Crisis\n Nigerian bandit conflict\n\nReferences\n\nSuggested reading\n\nExternal links\n Communal conflicts in Nigeria\n Nigeria Security Tracker\n ACLED Data\n Stop this massacre, Agatu Community begs NSA, IG\n\nPolitics of Nigeria\nReligion-based civil wars\nConflicts in 2013\nConflicts in 2014\nConflicts in 2015\nConflicts in 2016\nConflicts in 2017\nConflicts in 2018\nOngoing conflicts\nConflicts in 2022\nReligion-based wars\nConflicts in Nigeria",
"The First Battle of Wawer was fought on 19 and 20 February 1831, between Poland and Russia. Polish forces, led by Jan Skrzynecki, defeated Russian 1st Corps, commanded by Hans Karl von Diebitsch. After the battle, Polish commanders did not receive any reinforcements, so the victory was not decisive.\n\nReferences\n\nConflicts in 1831\nBattles of the November Uprising\nMilitary history of Warsaw\nFebruary 1831 events\n1831 in Poland"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.",
"did he set any records?",
"Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match,",
"did he do anything else that gained him fame?",
"Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag",
"did he have any conflicts?",
"The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | was he ever injured? | 8 | was Rey Mysterio ever injured? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | false | [
"Pyae Phyo Zaw (; born 2 June 1994 in Myanmar) is a footballer from Burma, and a defender of Yangon United. He promoted from Yangon Youth Team to Yangon United Senior Team. Pyae Phyo Zaw was born in Taungoo, Bago Division.\n\nClub career\n\nYangon United\nFirst ever match of Pyae Phyo Zaw in Yangon United was against Hantharwady United. He was chosen when Zaw Min Tun was injured.\n\nReferences\n\n1994 births\nLiving people\nPeople from Yangon Region\nBurmese footballers\nAssociation football defenders\nYangon United F.C. players\nMyanmar international footballers",
"Antwan Fontain Goodley Jr. (born September 6, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Baylor.\n\nEarly years\nGoodley attended Midland High School in Midland, Texas. He played wide receiver, cornerback and returned kicks. He was a three-year starter under head coach Craig Yenzer. As a senior, he was named first-team All-District 2-5A and first-team All-Permian Basin (by Odessa American) after totaling 613 yards on 38 receptions and four touchdown catches, four rushes for 55 yards and one rushing touchdown, and three touchdowns on kick returns. He finished his career with school-record 1,747 receiving yards. He was ranked by ESPN.com as the 73rd best receiver in the nation. and 119th by Scout.com.\n\nIn track, he won the 200 meters at the 2008 District 3-5A Meet with a time of 21.82 seconds. He was also part of the 4x100 relay team that set the school record with a time of 41.06 seconds. He currently holds the school's fastest 200-meter dash time ever, at 21.4 seconds.\n\nCollege career\nGoodley played college football at Baylor University from 2010 to 2014. During his collegiate career, he earned All-American honors as a wide receiver and recorded 150 receptions for 2,366 yards and 21 touchdowns.\n\nProfessional career\n\nDallas Cowboys\nGoodley signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2015. On September 1, 2015, he was released by the Cowboys.\n\nSeattle Seahawks\nOn December 9, 2015 Goodley was signed to the Seahawks practice squad.\n\nOn September 3, 2016, Goodley was released by the Seahawks as part of final roster cuts. On September 13, 2016, he was signed to the Seahawks' practice squad. He was released on September 27, 2016.\n\nGreen Bay Packers\nOn December 27, 2016, Goodley was signed to the Packers practice squad. He signed a futures contract with the Packers on January 24, 2017. He was waived/injured by the Packers on May 8, 2017 and was placed on injured reserve. He was waived from injured reserve on June 15, 2017.\n\nKansas City Chiefs\nOn July 28, 2017, Goodley signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, only to be waived/injured three days later and placed on injured reserve. He was released on August 22, 2017.\n\nBaltimore Brigade\nOn April 6, 2019, Goodley was assigned to the Baltimore Brigade. On April 12, 2019, he was placed on recallable reassignment and became a free agent.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nBaylor Bears bio\n\nLiving people\n1991 births\nPeople from Midland, Texas\nPlayers of American football from Texas\nAmerican football wide receivers\nBaylor Bears football players\nDallas Cowboys players\nSeattle Seahawks players\nGreen Bay Packers players\nKansas City Chiefs players\nBaltimore Brigade players"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.",
"did he set any records?",
"Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match,",
"did he do anything else that gained him fame?",
"Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag",
"did he have any conflicts?",
"The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair.",
"was he ever injured?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | did his career end? | 9 | did Rey Mysterio's career end? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | false | [
"Frank Harry (22 December 1876 – 27 October 1925) was an English cricketer, who played 69 first-class games for Lancashire in the early years of the 20th century, and then another seven for Worcestershire just after the First World War. He also turned out for Durham in the Minor Counties Championship between 1912 and 1914.\nAfter his retirement from playing, he stood in 21 games as an umpire, all in 1921.\n\nEarly career\n\nHarry made his first-class debut for Lancashire against Gloucestershire at Aigburth at the end of July 1903. The game was badly affected by rain and was drawn; Harry did not bat, and his only wicket was that of Frank Thomas.\nHe played a handful more games during the following two seasons, but failed to set the cricketing world on fire.\n\nPrime\n\n1906 was a completely different story, and indeed it was to prove a far more successful season for Harry. He scored a career-best 767 runs at 20.18, including three half-centuries, the highest of these (and of his career) being the 88 he hit against Worcestershire in June.\nHowever, the highlight of his batting season came at Blackpool at the end of the summer, when in Lancashire's game against an England XI, he hit an unbeaten 64 in the second innings to guide the county to a tie.\n\nWith the ball Harry also enjoyed success in 1906. Without doubt his finest hour came against Warwickshire at Old Trafford in May. In a low-scoring match (which was over inside two days) he claimed 6/26 in the first innings, following it up with 9/44 in the second. This remained his career best, as did his match figures of 15/70.\nHe managed five-wicket hauls on two other occasions, and finished the summer with 87 wickets (another career best) at an average of 19.63.\n\nIn 1907, Harry was similarly successful with the ball, picking up 84 wickets at 16.58, taking five in an innings on no fewer than eight occasions; this time his best return was at Eastbourne, where he achieved a superb first-innings analysis of 29.4–16–26–7; none of the other four bowlers in that innings managed an economy rate of under two.\nHowever, he played much less in 1908 and took only 31 wickets, and after that season played no more for Lancashire.\n\nLater playing career and umpiring\n\nIndeed, despite the aforementioned short spell with Durham between 1912 and 1914, Harry did not appear in first-class cricket again until after the First World War. When cricket resumed in 1919, he was with a new county, Worcestershire, but he did not find success there. He played only eight times for his new side, and his best innings figures were just 3/60, achieved against Somerset at Worcester in July 1919.\nAfter three unsuccessful games in 1920, Harry's first-class playing career was at an end. He stood for one season as an umpire, and died a few years later at the early age of 48.\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n\nEnglish cricketers\nLancashire cricketers\nWorcestershire cricketers\nEnglish cricket umpires\n1876 births\n1925 deaths\nDurham cricketers",
"Santiago Alberto Pérez (born December 30, 1975) is a former utility player in Major League Baseball. Pérez was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He attended Liceo Victor Estrella High School in Santo Domingo.\n\nCareer\nOriginally signed by the Detroit Tigers in 1993 as an undrafted free agent, Pérez never got higher than High-A ball in their organization, although he did display good speed, stealing 17 or more bases three times in the five seasons he was in the Tigers' organization.\n\nOn November 20, 1997, Pérez was traded by Detroit along with Rick Greene and Mike Myers to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Bryce Florie. Pérez started off in Double-A baseball in 1998, but by the end of the season he had seen some time in Triple-A. He remained at the Triple-A level until June 3, 2000, which is when he made his big league debut at the age of 24. He went 0-for-2 in his first game, and he started his career off collecting only two hits in his first 11 at-bats. He collected his first hit off of Valerio de los Santos. His season would not improve much after his poor start, in fact, it would basically stay the same. He ended up hitting .173 in the 52 at-bats that made up his first season. He was however 100% successful in the stolen base category, stealing four bases in four attempts.\n\nIn the 2000–2001 offseason, the Brewers sent Pérez with a player to be named later to the San Diego Padres for Brandon Kolb and a player to be named later. The two players to be named would end up being Will Cunnane from the Padres and minor leaguer Chad Green from the Brewers.\n\nAlthough Pérez was with a new team, his luck did not improve much. He played 43 games with the Padres in 2001, coming to the plate 81 times. Overall, he collected 16 hits for a .198 batting average in 2001-a slight improvement over the previous season, but still a poor average. July 1, 2001, would end up being Pérez's last game in the majors. He collected a walk in his only plate appearance in that game.\n\nAlthough his big league career was over, his professional career was not. In fact, he was bouncing around the minor leagues as recently as 2005, and in 28 games with Double-A Frisco in 2004, he hit .387.\n\nHis career batting statistics were not stellar, as he hit .188 with no home runs and six RBI in 133 career at-bats. Yet he was still a valuable asset due to his defensive versatility. Not only did he play in all three outfield spots in his career, he also spent time at shortstop and second base. His career fielding percentage was .926.\n\nHe wore two numbers in his career, 1 and 57.\n\nExternal links\n\n1975 births\nLiving people\nDominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States\n\nMajor League Baseball outfielders\nMajor League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic\nMajor League Baseball shortstops\nMilwaukee Brewers players\nSan Diego Padres players"
]
|
[
"Rey Mysterio",
"Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)",
"What was giant killer?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"when was his unmasking?",
"In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband.",
"what happened after that?",
"Mysterio later became a \"giant killer\" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.",
"did he win any titles?",
"he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.",
"did he set any records?",
"Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match,",
"did he do anything else that gained him fame?",
"Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag",
"did he have any conflicts?",
"The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair.",
"was he ever injured?",
"I don't know.",
"did his career end?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_bb1e211d06aa49389368bc272fa9930e_0 | was his unmasking popular? | 10 | was Rey Mysterio's unmasking popular? | Rey Mysterio | In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. CANNOTANSWER | Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: | Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as one of the most influential wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is credited for popularizing cruiserweight wrestling, and is one of the world's most recognizable lucha libre wrestlers.
The nephew of Rey Misterio Sr., Mysterio began his professional wrestling career in 1989, at age 14, on the independent circuit, before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in 1992. After a brief period performing for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Mysterio departed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, while he also won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. He then wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), and joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In WWE, Mysterio won the Cruiserweight Championship three times, the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship twice, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. He is WWE's 21st Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, is a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events. Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, and appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and AAA, before returning to WWE in 2018, winning the U.S. Championship twice and SmackDown Tag Team Championship once with his son Dominik.
Early life
Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974 in Chula Vista, California.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1989–1992)
Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Humming bird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, Mysterio was awarded "Most Improved Wrestler" in Mexico while wrestling as Colibrí.
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in a tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. facing Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted in September 1995 at Gangstas Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match. Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996.
World Championship Wrestling
Cruiserweight division (1996–1998)
Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by winning. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title. The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc. Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him. Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March. Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10, 1997, episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.
On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out. After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild. He was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the title at Starrcade but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the title at Souled Out in a fatal four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.
Giant Killer and unmasking (1998–1999)
In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton. He faced Nash at Uncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoff utilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming.
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship, making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg. On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.
No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P's No Limit Soldiers, and began feuding with The West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. in a tag team match. At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, thus turning heel in the process. This was Mysterio's only heel turn in his career. The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl. On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship. Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined as a result. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club. On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with The Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin. At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2001–2002)
After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to the United States.
Independent circuit and Puerto Rico (2001–2002)
Upon his return to the USA, he worked in IWA Mid-South, the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association, with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk. Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled Eddie (Primo) Colon over the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
Championship reigns (2002–2004)
In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio debuted with WWE wearing his mask again.
Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won. He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock. He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed to win the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot. Two weeks later on the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio and Edge defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They soon lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series. Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
On the March 6, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after Shannon Moore interfered. On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a handicap elimination match to regain the number one contendership for the Cruiserweight title, and he defeated Hardy to win his first Cruiserweight Championship (his first reign in WWE and his first singles championship in the WWE) on the June 5 episode of SmackDown!. Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!. Three months later, on the January 1, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his second Cruiserweight Championship. After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February. At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but Guerrero retained the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting third Cruiserweight Championship reign. He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash. While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!. At Survivor Series, he participated in a fatal four-way match for the Cruiserweight Championship involving the champion Dudley, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.
Teaming and feuding with Eddie Guerrero (2004–2005)
After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!. They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon, before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Mysterio had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Mysterio won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match on the September 9 episode of SmackDown!. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
World Heavyweight Champion (2005–2007)
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio started a feud with Big Show after Mysterio eliminated Big Show at Survivor Series, Mysterio would face Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on the December 16 episode of SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." Mysterio and Batista lost the match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista received their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match, which they lost after more interference by Henry. On the January 13, 2006, episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by Henry.
Mysterio was the second entrant in the 2006 Royal Rumble match. He won the match and earned a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton. He lasted 62 minutes, a Royal Rumble record. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out. In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death in November 2005. Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22. General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania title match however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle. At WrestleMania, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later.
Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The rivalry kicked off after JBL, celebrating his U.S. Championship win, stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw Mysterio face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day. Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest"; Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when he announced his return as a color commentator. Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained the title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known.
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell. The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court". This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post. On July 23 at The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in the match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy. Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 edition of SmackDown!. In that match (which Mysterio lost), Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay. On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Guerrero, which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, to end the feud. Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Unforgiven. The match was later made a Triple Threat match, also involving Batista, who won it.
Various storylines (2007–2009)
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated).
He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008 episode of SmackDown! when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble. He was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out, losing once again. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.
Mysterio made his return on the June 23, 2008, episode of Raw, as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho. Mysterio put his mask on the line in a singles match at No Mercy, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair. He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series, when the pair were on opposing sides in a five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match, entering first and spending 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match, before being eliminated by Big Show. The following night on Raw, he qualified for the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at No Way Out, but was eliminated by Edge when the two were the last men in the Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion (2009–2010)
Later, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) accepted Mysterio's challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then began an extended feud with Chris Jericho, successfully defending his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship; while Mysterio managed to cover his face after being unmasked, Jericho took the opportunity to roll him up and win the title. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio emerged from the acclaimed match victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. He then moved into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, defeating him at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy. In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour. On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell, teaming with former tag team partner Batista to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. They failed to win the titles, as Mysterio was punched and pinned by Big Show. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista attacked Mysterio, ending their alliance. Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series, where he lost by referee stoppage after Batista performed three Batista Bombs on him. Mysterio lost to Batista again in a street fight on the December 11 episode of SmackDown. A week later Mysterio defeated Batista and was named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but his title match against The Undertaker on the December 25 episode of SmackDown ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On January 1, 2010, Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho in the quickest time, and prevented Batista from beating it by interfering in his match. This led to a number one contender's match between the duo the following week, which also ended in a no contest following interference from the Undertaker. The following week in a re-match, Mysterio defeated Batista in a Steel Cage match, but failed to win the championship at the Royal Rumble.
Following the Royal Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks preceding the event, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, which Mysterio later accepted. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair). Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved.
World championship reigns (2010–2011)
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio unsuccessfully fought The Undertaker to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way. The Undertaker suffered a legitimate injury during the match, and a storyline was introduced to explain his absence on television, stating he had been found in a vegetative state by his brother Kane. On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio won a Battle Royal to earn The Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way by last eliminating Kane, and went on to defeat Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, however, Swagger attacked him after the match. Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in for a title shot and quickly defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after it had appeared that he was saving Mysterio from Swagger's attack. Kane later blamed Mysterio for The Undertaker's fictional injuries. On the July 23 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a two out of three falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. Kane defeated Mysterio at SummerSlam with a seemingly commemorative Tombstone Piledriver, but the Undertaker returned to exonerate Mysterio and blame Kane.
Five days later on the August 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost to the debuting Alberto Del Rio by submission. Del Rio, however, continued his attack after the match, sidelining Mysterio for a month, in which time Del Rio would taunt him. The following week a feud was sparked between the two, when Del Rio attacked Mysterio and broke his wrist following a match with Kane. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak. At Bragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite being attacked by teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team to victory over Team Del Rio, and at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, both were part of a fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated by Wade Barrett. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At Elimination Chamber, he made it to the final two but was eliminated by Edge. On the February 25 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Mysterio was defeated by Rhodes in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch on the April 23 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules in a Falls Count Anywhere match to end the feud.
In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth, which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won. In May, Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw. The feud culminated in a singles match on June 19 at Capitol Punishment, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money in the Bank briefcase, as the match was won by old rival Alberto Del Rio. The following night on Raw, Mysterio took part in a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship and advanced to the finals. On the July 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated The Miz in the final to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw, Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award to CM Punk.
Teaming with Sin Cara (2012–2013)
On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of the company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25.
After an absence of almost a year, Mysterio returned on the July 16 episode of Raw, saving Zack Ryder from his old rival, Alberto Del Rio. On August 19 at SummerSlam, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. During the match, Mysterio suffered a legitimate concussion, rendering him inactive for a week, but he returned to SmackDown on the August 31 episode. On September 16 at Night Of Champions, Mysterio failed again to capture the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz in a fatal four-way match, also involving Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara. The following night on Raw, Mysterio and Sin Cara teamed up to defeat Primo and Epico in a tag team match, after which they were attacked by The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil). According to Mysterio, he took the decision to leave WWE when he saw no creative direction about his tag team with Sin Cara. In October, Mysterio and Sin Cara entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Primo and Epico in the first round and the Prime Time Players in the semi-finals. Mysterio and Sin Cara were set to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the October 15 episode of Raw, but the match was postponed due to Mysterio legitimately suffering from effects of the stomach flu. The final took place the following week, on October 22, where he and Sin Cara were defeated by Rhodes and Sandow. On November 18 at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Mysterio and Sin Cara were victorious in a 10-man elimination tag team match alongside Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against Primo, Epico, the Prime Time Players, and Tensai. On December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio and Sin Cara were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in a number one contenders Table match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Two days later on SmackDown, Mysterio was sidelined with a storyline injury when he and Sin Cara were attacked by The Shield. This was used to write them off television, as Mysterio was taking some time off, and Sin Cara underwent a knee surgery. Mysterio returned on January 27, 2013, at the Royal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number fourteen but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to a legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry.
Final storylines and departure (2013–2015)
After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell. On the November 18 episode of Raw, Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro), which led to Mysterio being part of a 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Mysterio teamed with Big Show to unsuccessfully challenge Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) and The Real Americans. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at #30, but was eliminated by Seth Rollins. At WrestleMania XXX, Mysterio competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He appeared on the April 7 episode of Raw, losing to a returning Bad News Barrett and subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury.
During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. Mysterio did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in a video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground. On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company.
Return to AAA (2015–2016)
On March 3, 2015, five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for the first time since 1995. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, 2015. Mysterio teamed up with Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) to defeat the Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr., with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. This match is notorious for showing wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring following a drop kick from Mysterio. Mysterio delivered a dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involve Mysterio running towards the rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The ref, wrestlers, and lockerroom crew came out and took Perro out using a piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official death was ruled as cardiac arrest.
On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo, Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in the finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII, AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar. After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face and challenged him to a Lucha de Apuestas. In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr., known as "Team Mexico International" the trio finished in third place.
Return to independent circuit (2015–2018)
Mysterio has also appeared on a number of independent shows, facing Amazing Red in House of Glory, Ricochet in Drive Wrestling, PJ Black in Black Destiny Wrestling, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, amongst others.
Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016 for the upstart URFight promotion. Mysterio successfully defeated Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff. In January 2017, Mysterio noted in an interview that he may consider opening up his own wrestling school. During the interview, he said: "I just thought I would never have the time. Now being able to make that time – to not have the busy schedule I had with WWE – gives me plenty of time to be a family man. I'm hoping that this time I'm spending with my son will open up that idea again and create a Rey Mysterio Wrestling school". On April 30, 2017, at the WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup – Mexican Qualifying Round, Mysterio won the Mexico Leg with Penta El Zero M defeating Alberto El Patron in the semi-finals, and defeating longtime rival Juventud Guerrera in the finals. In Round 16, Mysterio lost to the English qualifier Will Ospreay.
Rey Mysterio teamed up with Mexican luchadors Fenix and Bandido for the main event of the indy super show All In on September 1, 2018. The trio lost to The Golden Elite team of Kota Ibushi and The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson).
Lucha Underground (2015–2018)
Mysterio signed with Lucha Underground on December 12, 2015 and appeared on the second season. On January 10, 2016, Mysterio teamed with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma to defeat Ivelisse, Johnny Mundo and Son of Havoc and Fénix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black and Cortez Castro, Joey Ryan and Mr. Cisco in a 4-way Trio Tag Team Elimination Match for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Mysterio was the second competitor to enter the second ever Aztec Warfare match and was the final elimination by the eventual winner Matanza. On January 31, 2016, at Ultima Lucha Dos, Rey Mysterio defeated Prince Puma in a singles match. Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Loser Leaves Match. On April 9, 2016 Mysterio was in an Aztec Warfare match where he eliminated Matanza Cueto after Mysterio was eliminated by Johnny Mundo.
During an interview with Title Match Wrestling in December 2016, Mysterio was asked if he would ever return to WWE, Mysterio replied:
"You never say never. But I am very, very comfortable in the position I'm in with Lucha Underground. I love their schedule, I love their style, I love what they have to offer. I don't think there will ever be another company that has what Lucha Underground has. It's very unique, exciting, and fresh—this is really something new".
At the end of Season 3, Mysterio was seen locked inside a cell with Matanza Cueto, implying that he had been killed off and would not be returning for Season 4. It was confirmed that Mysterio would not return for Season 4 as he had chosen not to renew his contract with Lucha Underground.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018)
Rey Mysterio made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut on June 9, 2018 as part of NJPW's Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall show. Mysterio teamed up with Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to the Bullet Club team of Cody, Marty Scurll and Adam Page.
Second return to AAA (2018)
On June 3, 2018, Mysterio returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) at Verano de Escándalo, competing in a three-way match for the AAA Mega Championship against Rey Wegner and Jeff Jarrett, with Jarrett winning.
Return to WWE
United States Champion (2018–2020)
On January 28, 2018, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio made a one night appearance, entering as a surprise entrant at number 27 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Adam Cole before later being eliminated by Finn Bálor. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, Mysterio participated in the 50-man Royal Rumble match, but was eliminated by Baron Corbin. On June 26, Mysterio was revealed as one of the pre-order bonus character for WWE 2K19. On September 19, it was confirmed Mysterio had signed a two-year contract with WWE.
On October 16, on the 1000th episode of SmackDown, Mysterio competed in his first singles match with the company since April 2014, where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament. During the tournament at Crown Jewel, Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the first round, but was attacked by Orton after the match. Later in the night, Mysterio lost to The Miz in the semi-finals. On the November 6 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to qualify for Team SmackDown in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series. At the event, Mysterio eliminated Finn Bálor before being eliminated by Braun Strowman, and Team SmackDown ultimately lost to Team Raw. Two nights later on SmackDown Live, Mysterio was attacked by Randy Orton, as well as he ripped Mysterio's mask off of his face. The two fought the following week, with Orton getting the upper-hand. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Mysterio defeated Orton in a Chairs match, ending their feud. On January 27, 2019, at the Royal Rumble, Mysterio entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, but was eliminated by Orton.
At Fastlane, Mysterio failed to capture the United States Championship, where Samoa Joe retained in a fatal four-way match also involving R-Truth and Andrade. On the March 12 episode of SmackDown Live, Mysterio pinned Samoe Joe in a tag team match, which led to Mysterio earning a United States Championship opportunity. At WrestleMania 35, he was defeated by Joe. On April 15, as part of the Superstar Shake-up, Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Joe to win the United States Championship for the first time, becoming the twenty-first WWE Grand Slam Champion in the process. On the June 3 episode of Raw, Mysterio announced that he would vacate the title the week after due to suffering an injury from a post-match beatdown by Joe. Mysterio returned from injury on the July 8 episode of Raw, where he was defeated by Bobby Lashley. In August, Mysterio teased his retirement due to multiple losses and amounting injuries, with his son, Dominik, trying to persuade him to not give up.
On the September 23 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match, which led to Mysterio earning a Universal Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins. However, the following week on Raw, Mysterio and Dominik were brutally attacked by Brock Lesnar, resulting in a storyline injury for the latter. On the October 4 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio assisted the debut of Cain Velasquez to attack Lesnar after the latter's WWE Championship win. At Crown Jewel, Lesnar defeated Velasquez by submission and continued to apply the Kimura Lock after the match had concluded until Mysterio attacked Lesnar with a chair. On the following week, Lesnar quit SmackDown to move to Raw in order to seek revenge against Mysterio, who had been drafted to Raw. At Survivor Series, Mysterio lost to Lesnar despite interference from Dominik.
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Mysterio won a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship. Later that night, he defeated AJ Styles to capture the United States Championship for the second time. During a house show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, Mysterio lost the title to Andrade, ending his reign at 31 days. He then attempted to win the title back on the January 6, 2020 and January 20 episodes of Raw, but Andrade successfully retained the title.
Teaming with Dominik Mysterio (2020–present)
On the April 20 episode of Raw, Mysterio defeated Murphy to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio failed to win the match. On the May 11 episode of Raw, Mysterio and Aleister Black were booked to face Seth Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match, where they won by disqualification when Rollins pulled Mysterio off of the ring apron and used the corner of the steel steps to pierce Mysterio's eye, taking Mysterio out of action. This resulted in speculation that Mysterio would "retire", following weeks of being mocked by Rollins. However, Mysterio and Dominik later began targeting Rollins, with Mysterio challenging Rollins to an Eye for an Eye match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, and the match was won by "removing" an opponent's eyeball. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost the match in a gruesome manner, but doctors believed his eye was able to be saved. At Payback, Mysterio and his son, Dominik Mysterio would go on to defeat Rollins and Murphy in a tag team match. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Mysterio was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Mysterio and Dominik would continue feuding with Rollins and Murphy. Mysterio and Rollins would eventually face each other in a No Holds Barred Final Chapter match on the November 13 episode of SmackDown, where Mysterio would pick up the win after assistance from Murphy, who turned on Rollins. At Survivor Series, Rey and Dominik would both compete in a dual brand battle royal, but both men were eliminated. On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Mysterio would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 26, but would be eliminated by Omos.
After Royal Rumble, Mysterio started teaming up with Dominik. On the WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Dominik would face The Street Profits, Otis and Chad Gable, and the champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the Smackdown Tag Team titles, but were unsuccessful as Roode and Ziggler would retain their titles. At WrestleMania Backlash, Mysterio and Dominik defeated Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they also became the first ever father-son tag team champions in WWE history.
On the June 4 episode of SmackDown, the Mysterios successfully defended their titles against The Usos, albeit with controversy as Jimmy's shoulder was lifted although the referee wasn't aware. After Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville granted a rematch later that same night, the Mysterios again retained their titles after Roman Reigns interfered and attacked the Mysterios, causing a disqualification, and both were assaulted by Reigns afterwards. The following week on SmackDown, Rey called out Reigns for attacking Dominik, and challenged Reigns to a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake pay-per-view, but before Reigns could answer, Rey attacked Reigns with a kendo stick, but was ultimately overpowered, and while Dominik joined the brawl, Reigns powerbomb'd Dominik over the top rope and out of the ring. The next day on Talking Smack, Paul Heyman, Reigns' "special council", formally accepted Rey's challenge on Reigns's behalf. On June 17, however, Rey posted to Twitter, stating that he did not want to wait until Sunday, and it was announced that the match would instead take place on the June 18 episode of SmackDown, marking the first Hell in a Cell match to take place on SmackDown in which he lost to Reigns. At Money in the Bank, The Mysterios lost the titles to The Usos in the pre-show, ending their title reign at 63 days. At SummerSlam, The Mysterios would be defeated by The Usos in a rematch for the Smackdown Tag Titles.
As part of the 2021 Draft, both Rey and Dominik were drafted to the Raw brand. In October, Mysterio entered the King of the Ring tournament, where he lost to Sami Zayn in the first round.
Mysterio later lost to Seth Rollins in a ladder match in a contest which also featured Kevin Owens and Finn Bálor to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Mysterio was later named as a member for Team RAW for the traditional Survivor Series showdown with Team SmackDown but was replaced by Austin Theory before the event took place. On the December 20 episode of Raw, Rey and Dominik defeated the team of AJ Styles and Omos. In January, Mysterio was unveiled as the cover star of WWE 2K22. On the January 17 edition of RAW, he was announced as a participant of the 2022 Royal Rumble match and later that night teamed with Dominik and The Street Profits to defeat fellow Royal Rumble competitors, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez.
Other media
Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including Rey Mysterio: 619, a 2003 documentary of Mysterio's career and personal life. WWE also produced Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man, a three disc set featuring Mysterio's best matches that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico. Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man was issued on July 12, 2011. In the UK, Silver Vision released a Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, WrestleMania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.
Movies
Mysterio appeared in the 2000 film Ready to Rumble along with several other wrestlers.
Books
Music
Mysterio, along with rapper Mad One, performed the original version of "Booyaka 619", which Mysterio used as his WWE entrance theme around September 2005. Mysterio also performed a rap song, called "Crossing Borders", which appears on the album WWE Originals and was also used as the official theme song for the 2004 No Way Out pay-per-view.
Video games
Mysterio is a playable character in numerous video games: WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge, WCW Mayhem, WCW Backstage Assault, WCW Nitro, WCW/nWo Thunder, WWE WrestleMania XIX, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K19 (as a pre-order bonus), WWE 2K20, WWE 2K Battlegrounds, and will appear in WWE 2K22, which is in-development.
Personal life
Gutierrez and his wife Angie have two children: a son, Dominik (born April 5, 1997) and a daughter, Aalyah (born August 20, 2001). He has tattoos of his children's names on his right and left biceps, tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie, and a tattoo with the initials EG for his best friend and fellow wrestler, Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005. He is a devout Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before his matches and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.
Gutiérrez is part of an extended family of wrestlers, including his son Dominik Gutiérrez, uncle Rey Misterio Sr. and his cousins El Hijo de Rey Misterio and Metalika.
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Gutierrez who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol. WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006. On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutierrez would receive a 30-day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program. Days later Gutierrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Gutierrez further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified. On April 26, 2012, WWE suspended Gutierrez for 60 days due to a second violation of their wellness program.
Filmography
Television
Championships and accomplishments
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración / Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco
Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Lucha Libre World Cup (2015) – with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto
AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Técnico of the Year (2015)
Catch Wrestling Europe
CWE World Grand Prix (2017)
Cauliflower Alley Club
Lucha Libre Award (2020)
The Crash
The Crash Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
DDT Pro-Wrestling
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (1 time)
Destiny World Wrestling
DWW Championship (1 time)
Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
International Wrestling All-Stars
IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground Trios Championship (1 time) – with Dragon Azteca Jr. and Prince Puma
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Ranked No. 4 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
World Championship Wrestling
WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman
WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)
World Wrestling Association
WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)
WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rey Misterio
WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)
World Wrestling Council
WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
WWE Championship (1 time)
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dominik Mysterio
WWE United States Championship (2 times)
Royal Rumble (2006)
Championship Competition Tournament (2007)
Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks and Kofi Kingston)
WWE Championship Tournament (2011)
Twenty-first Triple Crown Champion
Twenty-first Grand Slam Champion
Bumpy Award (1 time)
Tag Team of the Half-Year (2021) - with Dominik Mysterio
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor
Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
Rookie of the Year (1992)
Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
Luchas de Apuestas record
Notes
References
External links
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent
Catholics from California
Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople
Living people
Masked wrestlers
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Chula Vista, California
Professional wrestlers from California
The Latino World Order members
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions | true | [
"Unmasking by U.S. intelligence agencies typically occurs after the United States conducts eavesdropping or other intelligence gathering aimed at foreigners or foreign agents, and the name of a U.S. citizen or entity is incidentally collected. Intelligence reports are then disseminated within the U.S. government, with such names masked to protect those U.S. citizens from invasion of privacy. The names can subsequently be unmasked upon request by authorized U.S. government officials under certain circumstances. Unmaskings occur thousands of times each year, totaling 10,012 in 2019.\n\nJargon\nWhen an intelligence agency spies on foreign citizens or agents, and information about innocent domestic citizens is uncovered even though they are not targets of investigation, that is called \"incidental collection\". If the intelligence agency is operating in a manner designed to protect privacy rights, then it normally addresses incidental collection by using a process called \"minimization\" which includes replacing names of innocent domestic citizens with designations like \"U.S. Person One,\" \"U.S. Person Two,\" et cetera, before the intelligence reports will be distributed within the government.\n\nThere are essentially two types of incidental collection. The first type is when legitimate foreign intelligence targets are speaking about a domestic person. The second type is when a legitimate foreign intelligence target is speaking with a domestic person. If the domestic person information is deemed not to have intelligence value then it is purged from government databases, but otherwise can be disseminated with minimization; in the first type of incidental collection the domestic names will be redacted, and in the second type of incidental collection everything the domestic person says will be redacted. As former CIA official Michael Morrell has put it, \"In the second type of incidental collection, where the U.S. person is actually part of the conversation, typically nothing that U.S. person says can be disseminated.\"\n\nUnited States law\nIn the United States, the various intelligence agencies such as the CIA, FBI and National Counterterrorism Center have their own distinctive minimization procedures and unmasking procedures, which were partially declassified in August 2016. At the National Security Agency (NSA), about 20 people have authority to approve unmasking requests, according to NSA Director Michael S. Rogers. Former FBI Director James Comey said that his agency necessarily has many more than 20 people with unmasking authority, which he attributed to the fact that the scope of the FBI's mission includes domestic affairs.\n\nThe U.S. Government's minimization procedures stem primarily from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Courts interpreting that statute have explained the purposes of minimization:\n\n[M]inimization at the acquisition stage is designed to insure that the communications of nontarget U.S. persons who happen to be using a FISA target's telephone, or who happen to converse with the target about non-foreign intelligence information, are not improperly disseminated. Similarly, minimization at the retention stage is intended to ensure that information acquired, which is not necessary for obtaining, producing, or disseminating foreign intelligence information, be destroyed where feasible. Finally, the dissemination of foreign intelligence information needed for an approved purpose . . . should be restricted to those officials with a need for such information.\n\nThese minimization requirements complement and supplement traditional standards under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. If the surveillance is pursuant to a court order or warrant, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court or FISC) must find that the proposed surveillance meets the statutory minimization requirements for information pertaining to U.S. persons, but intelligence agencies have broad discretion to spy without a court order or warrant, and so they must ensure compliance with those statutory minimization requirements under Section 702 of FISA.\n\nWhen unmasking occurs, it must be based upon a valid reason, and only for the person who requests the unmasking; intelligence reports do not get re-disseminated with the name or statements of the U.S. person unmasked. NSA rules say that unmasking must be \"necessary to understand foreign intelligence information or assess its importance\", or be done with the consent of the U.S. person who would be unmasked, or be pursuant to a finding that the U.S. person is a foreign agent or terrorist, or the unmasked information includes evidence about a crime.\n\nInstances\n\nUnmasking is common. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), 9,217 unmasking requests were fulfilled in 2016, 9,529 in 2017, 16,721 in 2018 and 10,012 in 2019.\n\nUnmasking members of Congress\n\nMembers of Congress have in the past expressed concern that U.S. intelligence agencies have disseminated communications of nontarget U.S. persons (with or without naming them), including when those U.S. persons were members of Congress themselves. For example, in 2015 during the Obama administration, Representative Pete Hoekstra tweeted: \"WSJ report that NSA spied on Congress and Israel communications very disturbing. Actually outrageous. Maybe unprecedented abuse of power.\" Likewise, in 2009, reports emerged that Representative Jane Harman had been involved in a similar incident, also involving Israel, during the George W. Bush administration.\n\nCurrent practice is reportedly for the eight bipartisan leaders in Congress to receive alerts that members of Congress or their aides have been unmasked. Such an alert is known as a \"Gates Notification\" after former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Robert Gates, and they happen as often as once a month.\n\nUnmasking aides to Donald Trump\n\nIn February 2017, during the Trump administration, Michael Flynn resigned his position as National Security Advisor, reportedly after communications he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were unmasked and leaked to the press. Flynn lost his job because the leaks led White House officials to believe that he had misled them about his discussion with Kislyak in December 2016. According to The New York Times, \"The F.B.I. investigated four unidentified Trump campaign aides in those early months...[including]...Michael T. Flynn, Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Mr. Papadopoulos.\"\n\nFormer National Security Advisor Susan Rice made requests to unmask members of the Trump campaign and transition, which she has said were apolitical requests, and only to provide context for intelligence reports. Rice was not the person who unmasked Flynn's conversation with Kislyak, according to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Rice has said that she did unmask Trump aides at a December 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, unrelated to Kislyak or Russia. Fox News has reported that former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power requested 260 unmaskings during 2016, mostly toward the end of the Obama administration, which Power has denied, saying that other people requested some of the unmaskings in her name. Rice's September 2017 testimony before the House Intelligence Committee appeared to allay the concerns of Republicans, with Committee member Mike Conaway stating, \"She was a good witness, answered all our questions. I'm not aware of any reason to bring her back.\"\n\nThe then top Democrat on the committee, Adam Schiff, says the investigation into unmasking is meant to divert attention from probes of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.\n\nThe list of Obama officials who sought to unmask Flynn was declassified by Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. The list includes then Vice President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Obama's then-chief of staff Denis McDonough; in addition, Samantha Power, at the time U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, appears on the unmasking records as having requested Flynn to be unmasked seven times. In May 2020, attorney general Bill Barr appointed U.S. attorney John Bash to examine unmaskings conducted by the Obama administration. The inquiry concluded in October 2020 with no findings of substantive wrongdoing.President Trump has claimed that the unmasking request was an act of espionage since the beginning of his presidency and has been emphatically hyping the probe as a potential October Surprise for the 2020 election. It was also revealed that unmasking requests have significantly increased under the Trump presidency according to statistical transparency reports by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.\n\nUnmasking of sources \n\nIn July 2020, the primary sub-source for the Steele dossier, Russian-trained Ukrainian attorney Igor Danchenko, was unmasked after declassification of the interview report by Attorney General William P. Barr, who \"has repeatedly been accused of abusing his powers to help Mr. Trump politically\". Lindsey Graham had also \"asked the F.B.I. to declassify the interview report\". Immediately after Barr's unmasking of Danchenko, Graham posted it to the Senate Judiciary Committee's web site. The declassification order was criticized by former law enforcement officials as an unmasking that could endanger other sources and make the FBI's work harder. About two weeks after he was unmasked, Danchenko received a subpoena from Alfa-Bank, and his lawyer revealed that his client \"fears for his life\", since Russian agents are known to kill such informers.\n\nSee also\n\n De-anonymization\n Trump Tower wiretapping allegations\n\nReferences\n\nIntelligence operations\nPrivacy of telecommunications",
"David G. Marwell (born 1951) is an American historian and the former director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Marwell received a BA from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in modern European history from Binghamton University.\n\nCareer\nPrior to his work at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. from 1997 to 2000, Marwell was director of the Berlin Document Center from 1988 to 1994 and then executive director of the Assassination Records Review Board.\n\nHe also served as Chief of Investigative Research for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Investigations. In that capacity, Marwell was responsible for conducting historical and forensic research in support of Justice Department prosecution of Nazi war criminals, including Klaus Barbie and Josef Mengele. He has also served as an expert witness and consultant to the governments of Canada and Australia on several war crime prosecutions, and was a member of the Interagency Working Group for Nazi War Criminal Documents. Marwell also serves as President of the Leo Baeck Institute New York|Berlin and on the board of FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics), the Auschwitz Jewish Center, and The Defiant Requiem Foundation.\n\nMarwell's book, MENGELE: Unmasking the \"Angel of Death\" about Josef Mengele was published in January 2020.\n\nWorks\n MENGELE: Unmasking the \"Angel of Death\" Norton & Company, Incorporated, W.W., 2020.\n\nReferences\n\nLiving people\n21st-century American historians\n21st-century American male writers\nBinghamton University alumni\n1951 births\nAmerican male non-fiction writers"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)"
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What was Bless You? | 1 | What was Martha and the Vandellas, "Bless You?" | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | false | [
"\"Bless 'Em All\", also known as \"The Long and the Short and the Tall\" and \"Fuck 'Em All\", is a war song. The words have been credited as being written by Fred Godfrey in 1917 to music composed by Robert Kewley. It was first recorded by George Formby, Jr. in 1940.\n\nThe song has also been credited to Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake and Al Stillman.\n\nHistory\nGodfrey claimed to have thought up the lyrics for the song while serving with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) at Dunkirk during the First World War, recalling in a 1941 letter to the Daily Mirror: \"I wrote “Bless 'Em All” while serving in the old RNAS in France in 1916. And, furthermore, it wasn't 'Bless'.\" Although the song is credited to him, it is unclear if he actually wrote the lyrics, and his service record indicates that he joined RNAS in January 1917. Les Cleveland (1984) writes that a version of the song titled \"Fuck 'Em All\" was a popular protest song by airmen serving on India's North West Frontier during the 1920s, and may have originated from there. It later gained popularity among British and Commonwealth troops during the Second World War, and with a change of lyrics became a patriotic tune after being performed by singers such as Gracie Fields and Vera Lynn. It was also recorded by George Formby and others. Ward Brown noted that \"(...) The line You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean seems to reflect the point of view of soldiers about to be sent to a fighting front on the other side of an ocean - presumably the Atlantic. This would point to an American origin for the song, rather than a British one, though there is no clear evidence for such an origin\". However the 'ocean' referred to, given a British-Indian origin, is much more likely to be the Indian Ocean - although the English Channel would do just as well for the purposes of the song.\n\nLyrics \nBless 'em all,\nBless 'em all.\nThe long and the short and the tall,\n\nBless all those Sergeants and WO1's, \nBless all those Corporals and their blinkin'/bleedin' sons,\nCos' we're saying goodbye to 'em all.\nAnd back to their Billets they crawl,\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,\nSo cheer up my lads bless 'em all\n\nLyrics from lyrics.com \n\nThey say there's a troopship just leavin' Bombay, bound for old Blighty shore,\nHeavily laden with time-expired men, bound for the land they adore.\nThere's many an airman just finishing his time, there's many a twerp signin' on.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.\n\nBless 'em all, bless 'em all, the long and the short and the tall.\nBless all the sergeants and W. O. 1s,\nBless all the corp'rals and their blinkin' sons,\n'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to them all, as back to their billets they crawl.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.\n\nThey say if you work hard you'll get better pay.\nWe've heard all that before.\nClean up your buttons and polish your boots,\nScrub out the barrack room floor.\nThere's many a rookie has taken it in, hook, line, and sinker an' all.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all. \n\nBless 'em all, bless 'em all, the long and the short and the tall,\nBless all the sergeants and W. O. 1s,\nBless all the corp'rals and their blinkin' sons,\n'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to them all, as back to their billets they crawl.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.\n\nNow they say that the sergeant's a very nice chap, oh what a tale to tell.\nAsk him for leave on a Saturday night; he'll pay your fare home as well.\nThere's many an airman has blighted his life through writing rude words on the wall.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.\n\nBless 'em all, bless 'em all, the long and the short and the tall,\nBless all the sergeants and W. O. 1s,\nBless all the corp'rals and their blinkin' sons,\n'Cos we're sayin' goodbye to them all, as back to their billets they crawl.\nYou'll get no promotion this side of the ocean, so cheer up my lads, bless 'em all.\n\nNobody knows what a twerp you have been, so cheer up my lads bless 'em all\n\nIrish version\nA satirical version of the song became very popular in Ireland during the Second World War (known in neutral Ireland as the Emergency). The song was a reaction to the widespread rationing of tea, sugar, tobacco and other goods due to the drastic drop in imports, particularly from Britain. It poked fun at Ireland's Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and Minister Seán MacEntee who were blamed for the shortages and rationing. The line \"the long and the short and the tall\" had particular sarcastic resonance because De Valera was tall while McEntee was very short.\n\nIn popular culture\nFilms\nThe first verse of the song was sung in the propaganda film Tunisian Victory released by the US and the UK in 1944 at 40:38.\nThe song was used as the title theme to the 1961 film The Long and the Short and the Tall.\nThe song was sung and used as an instrumental theme in the 1941 film Confirm or Deny\nThe song is sung by the characters in Captains of the Clouds (1942).\n\"Bless' Em All\" is sung by the pilots of the Polish Brigade of the Royal Air Force in the 1942 comedy film To Be Or Not To Be\nIn the 1943 Canadian film Corvette K225 the song is sung by members of the crew and is used in an instrumental version as part of the score.\nThe song is heard as a snippet in Guadalcanal Diary (1943), sung by the Marines on the island as well as Marine Raiders (1944).\nThe song is heard being sung in the Officer's Club in the 1949 film Twelve O'Clock High with Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger. In the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, the song is credited as \"words and music by Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake and Al Stillman\".\nThe song is featured in the film Chain Lightning with Humphrey Bogart, released in 1950. It is sung twice, and the melody is used as instrumental backing for the film's climax. As with Twelve O'Clock High, the AFI Catalog credits the song to Jimmy Hughes, Frank Lake, and Al Stillman. \n A version of the song was sung by United States Marines on the march to the Hungnam Evacuation after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. \nThe song is sung by the POWs in The Colditz Story (1954).\nAn instrumental version is heard in the 1955 Clark Gable / Lana Turner movie Betrayed.\nThe song is heard as a snippet in the Red Cross Service Club scene in the 1956 William Holden and Deborah Kerr film The Proud and Profane.\n\"Fuck 'Em All\" is heard in the 2007 film Atonement being sung by soldiers as they wait to be evacuated from Dunkirk.\n A variation with lyrics \"Ring them all, Ring them all\" is used at the conclusion of Paul McCartney's \"Give My Regards to Broad Street (film)\".\nTelevision\nArchie Bunker sings a few lines of the song in the final seconds of the season one episode \"Success Story\" of the TV show All in the Family.\nIn the Magnum, P.I. episode \"Echoes of the Mind Part I\" Jonathan Higgins listens to a record of the song.\nThe song was sung several times in the pub scene of a 1980 NBC television movie, The Secret War of Jackie's Girls, set in England in World War II.\n\nLiterature\n William Hjortsberg's biography of Richard Brautigan, Jubilee Hitchhiker, includes an account of Brautigan in 1967 joining several other poets and artists in a Chinese restaurant to celebrate Basil Bunting, who'd been invited to read at the San Francisco Museum of Art. Bunting led everyone in \"an old British-army or service-person-overseas kind of song where everybody gets screwed.\" Hjortsberg calls it \"Troop Ships Are Leaving Bombay,\" the first line of Formby's original lyric.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nBless ’Em All page from Bless ’Em All: The Songs of Fred Godfrey\nGeorge Formby recording \n\n1917 songs\nSongs of World War I\nSongs of World War II\nGeorge Formby songs\nSongs written by Fred Godfrey\nSongs about politicians\nSongs about celebrities\nCultural depictions of Éamon de Valera",
"Go Bananas! is the 30th album released by the Australian children's music group, the Wiggles. Kylie Minogue guest stars as the pink Wiggle. This album won the 2009 Aria Award for Best Children's Album.\n\nTrack listing\n Introduction\n Monkey Man (featuring Kylie Minogue)\n The Chicken Walk\n Kangaroo Jumping\n Bless You, Bless You, Bonnie Bee\n The Unicorn (featuring Morgan Crowley)\n The Monkey, The Bird And The Bear\n Little Robin Redbreast\n The Dingle Puck Goat\n One Monkey Who\n Wags The Dog Is Chasing His Tail\n Cock-A-Doodle-Doo\n The Lion Is King\n Rusty the Cowboy (featuring John Waters)\n Sing, Sing!\n The Poor King\n Here Comes A Camel\n Dickory, Dickory, Dare\n Frankie The Blue Eyed Koala\n I’m A Scary Tiger\n Hodley Podley\n Standing Like A Statue\n Kangaroo, Kangaroo, What Do You See?\n Tassie Devil\n Once I Saw A Little Bird\n Hippo, Hippo!\n\nVideo\n\nGo Bananas! was released on ABC DVD in 2009.\n\nSong List\nMonkey Man (Featuring Kylie Minogue) \nThe Chicken Walk \nKangaroo Jumping \nBless You, Bless You, Bonnie Bee \nThe Monkey, the Bird and the Bear \nLittle Robin Redbreast \nThe Dingle Puck Goat \nOne Monkey Who \nWags the Dog Is Chasing His Tail \nCock-A-Doodle-Doo \nThe Lion Is King \nRusty The Cowboy (Featuring John Waters) \nSing, Sing! \nThe Poor King \nHere Comes a Camel \nDickory, Dickory, Dare \nFrankie the Blue-Eyed Koala \nI'm a Scary Tiger \nHodley Podley \nStanding Like a Statue \nKangaroo, Kangaroo, What Do You See? \nTassie Devil \nOnce I Saw a Little Bird \nHippo, Hippo!\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nThe Wiggles albums\nThe Wiggles videos\n2009 albums\nARIA Award-winning albums\n2009 video albums\nAustralian children's musical films"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation)."
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What did the hit do for their career? | 2 | What did the hit "Bless You" have for Martha and the Vandellas career? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | false | [
"\"Do What's Good for Me\" is a song recorded by Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in October 1995 as the first single from their greatest hits compilation album, Hits Unlimited. Co-written by Anita Dels and Ray Slijngaard, it was a notable hit in Europe, reaching the Top 10 in Finland and Spain.\n\nCritical reception\nLarry Flick from Billboard wrote, \"The ongoing wave of pop-NRG dance acts enjoying radio prominence owes a massive debt to this ever-hot European duo for getting the party started. Sadly, the act has yet to achieve U.S. success à la such offspring as Real McCoy, but this jumpy li'l jam could easily change that. The bassline throbs infectiously, while the interplay of male rapping and female singing pops with palpable chemistry.\" Ross Jones from The Guardian deemed it \"a powerhouse anthem of self-discovery, robo-bass, and skipping beats\". A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding that \"Anita and Ray go for a harder-edged techno sound, resulting in a less radio-friendly track than many of their recent releases.\" James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update called it a \"synth stabbed squawker\".\n\nChart performance\n\"Do What's God for Me\" scored chart success in many European countries, peaking at number 3 in both Finland and Spain. It managed a respectable 17th place on the Canadian RPM singles chart, while also charting in the Top 20 in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. In the latter, it peaked at number 16 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on October 15, 1995. Additionally, the single was a Top 30 hit in Austria and Scotland, and a Top 40 hit in Sweden. In Australia, it only reached number 87.\n\nMusic video\nThe music video for \"Do What's Good For Me\" was directed by director Nigel Simpkiss and released in the UK in October 1995. It features Anita and Ray performing the song in a computer, on a website. Simpkiss also directed the music videos for \"Let the Beat Control Your Body\", \"The Real Thing\", \"Here I Go\" and \"Nothing Like the Rain\". \"Do What's Good For Me\" was uploaded to YouTube in July 2014, and as of September 2020, the video has got more than 140,000 views.\n\nTrack listing\n\n Canadian CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:55)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:05)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:08)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:25)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (9:00)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n European and Japanese CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n UK CD single no.1\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:11)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n UK CD single no.2\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:11)\n \"2U Megamix\" (6:04)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n\n US CD maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n 7\" single\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (3:50)\n\n Belgian 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n\n Italian 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Edit) (3:49)\n \"Club Megamix\" (9:34)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\n US 12\" maxi\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Extended) (6:03)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Alex Party Remix) (5:06)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (X-Out Remix) (5:22)\n \"Do What's Good For Me\" (Aural Pleasure Mix) (8:58)\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nKids Like You and Me\n\nIn the Netherlands, a re-recorded version of this track entitled \"Kids Like You And Me\" was released in order to promote awareness of homeless youth. The music remained the same while new lyrics were composed incorporating the messages of homeless youth. It was not released in the United Kingdom.\n\nTrack listing\n CD single \n \"Kids Like You And Me\" (Radio Edit) (3:49)\n \"Kids Like You And Me\" (Instrumental) (3:49)\n\nReferences\n\n1995 singles\n2 Unlimited songs\n1995 songs\nSongs written by Jean-Paul De Coster\nSongs written by Phil Wilde\nSongs written by Ray Slijngaard\nSongs written by Anita Doth\nByte Records singles\nPete Waterman Entertainment singles\nMusic videos directed by Nigel Simpkiss",
"Thurston Harris (July 11, 1931 – April 14, 1990) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1957 hit \"Little Bitty Pretty One\"\n\nCareer\nHarris first appeared on record in 1953. He was the vocalist for South Central Los Angeles R&B band the Lamplighters. He remained with the band as it evolved through several name changes, from the Tenderfoots to the Sharps.\n\nIn 1957, Harris signed as a solo artist for Aladdin Records. His former band backed him when he released his version of Bobby Day's \"Little Bitty Pretty One\". It reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The track sold over one million records, achieving gold disc status. The Sharps would go on to another name change to become The Rivingtons, achieving fame with the single \"Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow\".\n\nUnusually, \"Little Bitty Pretty One\" was released on three different-colored labels: purple, blue and maroon. The song appeared on the soundtracks to films or television dramas, such as Telling Lies in America, Matilda, Lipstick on Your Collar, and Christine.\n\nHarris had a second and final hit in 1958 with \"Do What You Did\", which reached the Top 20. His other best known song was \"Runk Bunk\", recorded in 1959 (Aladdin 3452). Harris later recorded on Cub, Dot, Imperial, Intro, Reprise and United Artists.\n\nCover versions\nFrankie Lymon's highest charting solo hit was a cover of \"Little Bitty Pretty One\", which peaked at number 58 on the R&B charts in 1960.\nThe Jackson 5 covered the song on their 1972 album Lookin' Through the Windows.\n UK 1980's star Shakin' Stevens covered the wild rocker \"Do What You Did\" on his album \"Take One\" in 1980.\nA cover of \"Runk Bunk\" was one of the first songs recorded by the UK pop star, Adam Faith.\nThe Dave Clark 5 had a minor UK hit with this in the mid 1960s.\n\nDeath\nHarris died of a heart attack in 1990 at age 58.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nComplete discography of Thurston Harris\n \n\n1931 births\n1990 deaths\nCub Records artists\nImperial Records artists\nMusicians from Indianapolis\n20th-century American singers\n20th-century American male singers"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart."
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What else is important about this time frame? | 3 | In addition to "Bless You" what else is important about Martha and the Vandellas? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | true | [
"I-Frame Delay (IFD) is a scheduling technique for adaptive streaming of MPEG video. The idea behind it is that streaming scheduler drops video frames when the transmission buffer is full because of insufficient bandwidth, to reduce the transmitted bit-rate. The characteristics of the algorithm.:\nnumber of frames currently in the buffer (not the number of bytes) is indicating buffer fullness,\nless important frames (B-frame) from the buffer are dropped before the more important frames (I-frame and P-frame),\nthe transmission of I-frames is delayed when conditions are bad, even if they are out-of-date w.r.t. the display time (they can still be used to decode subsequent interpredicted frames).\n\nI-Frame Delay algorithm\nThe IFD mechanism is divided on two parts:\nas the stream is parsed and packetized into network packets, it is also analyzed and the packets are tagged with a priority number reflecting the frame type (I-frame, P-frame or B-frame). Non-video packets are given a highest priority number, which causes that audio will never be dropped.\nduring transmission, packets are dropped by the IFD scheduler when the bandwidth is insufficient.\n\nThe size of the IFD buffer should be big enough to hold a number of frames but minimum required is two frames, one to hold the frame currently being sent (indicated below as ScheduledFrame), and one currently waiting to be sent (indicated as WaitingFrame). Increasing the IFD buffer size could potentially permit a more elaborate prioritization, however it can cause increased latency and memory usage. The figure below depicts an example of the buffer filling. The numbers represent the priority a packet.\n\nHere the video frames priority numbers are 10 and higher. The packets with priority number 12 belong to the frame scheduled for sending, and the packets with number 11 belong to the waiting frame. On the figure a packet which belongs to the next frame is about to enter the buffer.\n\nAs can be seen, it is possible to interleave video packets with non-video packets (audio or system with priority numbers 2 and 0 respectively). When a packet belonging to next frame is about to be written to the IFD buffer and the buffer is full, the IFD scheduler will drop a frame based on the priority assigned earlier. When the network bandwidth is so low that also P-frames need to be dropped, then the GOP (Group of Pictures) is set to be \"disturbed\" and the rest of the GOP (which depends on the P-frame) is also dropped.\n\nIf only B-frames are dropped there should be no distortions in the frame image because there are no subsequent frames depending on them. The dropping of frames by IFD causes the effect of the video playback being temporarily frozen, the duration of which depends on the number of frames dropped after which the playback resumes from the next frame which got through. For an IFD implementation with a buffer of the size of two frames the algorithm is shown in figure below.\n\n procedure Enqueue(NextFrame)\n if DisturbedGOP == True then\n if NextFrame is type I then # New GOP is encountered\n DisturbedGOP = False # Reset disturbed GOP flag\n end\n end\n if DisturbedGOP == True then\n Drop NextFrame # Discard rest of disturbed GOP\n return\n end\n if WaitingFrame is empty then\n WaitingFrame = NextFrame\n else\n if NextFrame is type I then\n WaitingFrame = NextFrame\n else\n if NextFrame is type B then\n Drop NextFrame\n else\n if WaitingFrame is type I or P then\n Drop NextFrame\n if NextFrame is type P then # Discarded frame is P-frame\n DisturbedGOP = True # Set disturbed GOP flag\n end\n else\n WaitingFrame = NextFrame\n end\n end\n end\n end\n end\n\nReferences\n\nMPEG",
"In telecommunication, frame synchronization or framing is the process by which, while receiving a stream of framed data, incoming frame alignment signals (i.e., a distinctive bit sequences or syncwords) are identified (that is, distinguished from data bits), permitting the data bits within the frame to be extracted for decoding or retransmission.\n\nFraming \nIf the transmission is temporarily interrupted, or a bit slip event occurs, the receiver must re-synchronize.\n\nThe transmitter and the receiver must agree ahead of time on which frame synchronization scheme they will use.\n\nCommon frame synchronization schemes are:\n\nFraming bit A common practice in telecommunications, for example in T-carrier, is to insert, in a dedicated time slot within the frame, a noninformation bit or framing bit that is used for synchronization of the incoming data with the receiver. In a bit stream, framing bits indicate the beginning or end of a frame. They occur at specified positions in the frame, do not carry information, and are usually repetitive.\nSyncword framing Some systems use a special syncword at the beginning of every frame.\nCRC-based framing Some telecommunications hardware uses CRC-based framing.\n\nFrame synchronizer\n\nIn telemetry applications, a frame synchronizer is used to frame-align a serial pulse code-modulated (PCM) binary stream.\n\nThe frame synchronizer immediately follows the bit synchronizer in most telemetry applications. Without frame synchronization, decommutation is impossible.\n\nThe frame synchronization pattern is a known binary pattern which repeats at a regular interval within the PCM stream. The frame synchronizer recognizes this pattern and aligns the data into minor frames or sub-frames. Typically the frame sync pattern is followed by a counter (sub-frame ID) which dictates which minor or sub-frame in the series is being transmitted. This becomes increasingly important in the decommutation stage where all data is deciphered as to what attribute was sampled. Different commutations require a constant awareness of which section of the major frame is being decoded.\n\nSee also\n Asynchronous start-stop\n Phase synchronization\n Self-synchronizing code\n Superframe\n\nReferences\n\nScientific articles\n J. L. Massey. \"Optimum frame synchronization \". IEEE trans. comm., com-20(2):115-119, April 1972.\n R Scholtz. \"Frame synchronization techniques\", IEEE Transactions on Communications, 1980.\n P. Robertson. \"Optimal Frame Synchronization for Continuous and Packet Data Transmission\", PhD Dissertation, 1995, Fortschrittberichte VDI Reihe 10, Nr. 376 PDF\n\nData transmission\nSynchronization"
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[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,"
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | Why was Ashford replaced? | 4 | Why was Ashford from Martha and the Vandellas replaced? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | false | [
"South Kent College (SKC) was a college of further and higher education in southeast England. The main campus was in Folkestone, with satellites in Dover and at several sites in Ashford. Following a KPMG report in 2008 that recommended a merger, in April 2010 SKC joined West Kent College to form South & West Kent College, trading as K College.\n\nCampuses \n Ashford\n South Kent College & Ashford Sixth Form Centre, Jemmett Road \n Ashford School of Art & Design, Tufton Street\n Ashford School of Art & Design, Henwood Industrial Estate\nAn \"Ashford Learning Campus\" was proposed, teaching up to 14,000 students from 2011. After the merger, this was replaced with a £20m plan for a new campus at the Elwick Road site in spring 2013 and the sale of the Jemmet Road site.\n Dover Campus\n Folkestone Campus\n\nNotable former pupils \n\n Richard Huckle, serial child sex offender\n Dominic King, radio broadcaster\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Official website (archived at the Wayback Machine on 15 April 2009)\n\n \n\nDover District\nAshford, Kent\nHigher education colleges in England\nFurther education colleges in Kent",
"Ashford is a former electorate for the South Australian Legislative Assembly which included many of Adelaide's inner south western suburbs. The district formed part of three federal electorates: the Division of Hindmarsh, the Division of Boothby, and the Division of Adelaide. The former electorate included the suburbs of Ashford, Black Forest, Camden Park, Clarence Gardens, Clarence Park, Cumberland Park, Everard Park, Forestville, Glandore, Keswick, Kings Park, Novar Gardens and Plympton as well as parts of Edwardstown, Goodwood, Millswood, Plympton Park, South Plympton and Wayville. The former electorate covered an area of approximately .\n\nThe electorate's name derives from the name given by early settler Charles George Everard to his property 'Ashford' in 1838 that was thought to have the best orchard in the colony. The name was also given to a suburb within the electorate. The district of Hanson was renamed to Ashford at the 2002 election. Hanson was re-drawn from a marginal Liberal to a marginal Labor electorate at the 1993 election. Often redistributed in all directions, particularly north and east, the only constant suburb in Ashford and Hanson has been the western half of Plympton. Incumbent Liberal MP Heini Becker moved to Peake, now West Torrens, however Ashford was still narrowly won by Liberal candidate Stewart Leggett. Up until its abolition, the seat was held by Labor member Steph Key who defeated Leggett at the 1997 election. A redistribution prior to the 2014 election saw Labor's margin significantly reduced from 4.8 percent to 0.6 percent however Labor retained the seat with an increased margin of 1.9 percent.\n\nAshford was replaced by Badcoe at the 2018 election; with a significant increase to the Labor margin in the seat resulting from the 2016 electoral redistribution. Key announced in February 2017 that she would retire from parliament as of the 2018 election.\n\nMembers for Ashford\n\nElection results\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n ABC profile for Ashford: 2014\n ECSA profile for Ashford: 2014\n Poll Bludger profile for Ashford: 2014\n\nFormer electoral districts of South Australia\n2002 establishments in Australia\n2018 disestablishments in Australia\nConstituencies established in 2002\nConstituencies disestablished in 2018"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,",
"Why was Ashford replaced?",
"they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was \"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing\","
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What happened to them next? | 5 | What happened to Martha and the Vandellas next? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | false | [
"What Happened to Jones may refer to:\n What Happened to Jones (1897 play), a play by George Broadhurst\n What Happened to Jones (1915 film), a lost silent film\n What Happened to Jones (1920 film), a lost silent film\n What Happened to Jones (1926 film), a silent film comedy",
"\"The Stolen Farthings\" is Tale 154 from Grimm's Fairy Tales. It is actually a ghost story. It is Aarne-Thompson type 769, A Child Returns from the Dead.\n\nSynopsis\nA couple was having dinner with a guest. At midnight, the guest saw a girl in white dress came in the house and go straight into the next room. The same thing happened again the next day and the day after that. The guest told the father what happened. The father said he had never seen the girl before. One night, the guest peeked in the room. He saw the little girl sitting on the floor, and digging up something between the boards of the floor. He reported what he saw to the mother, and she told him that it was probably their child who had died a month ago. The child received 2 farthings from the mother and was planning on giving it to a poor man. She changed her mind and decided to hide them between the floorboards so she could buy biscuits later. However, she did not get to use them before she died. Thus, it came back to check on the farthings. They donated the farthings to a poor man and the ghost never came back.\n\nReferences\n\nGrimms' Fairy Tales"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,",
"Why was Ashford replaced?",
"they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was \"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing\",",
"What happened to them next?",
"Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it \"close to home\". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single,"
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | How did others take the protest single? | 6 | How did others take the protest single from Martha and the Vandellas? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | true | [
"The Crucifix Decrees (Crucifix Struggle) were part of the Nazi Regime’s efforts to secularize public life. For example, crucifixes throughout public places like schools were to be replaced with the Fuhrer’s picture. The Crucifix Decrees throughout the years of 1935 to 1941 sparked protests against removing crucifixes from traditional places. Protests notably occurred in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony) in 1936, Frankenholz (Saarland) and Frauenberg (East Prussia) in 1937, and in Bavaria in 1941. These incidents prompted Nazi party leaders to back away from crucifix removals in 1941.\n\nHistorical significance \nSignificance within the Crucifix Decrees lies within the single-issue based event that it was. The following list are some of the events related to the Crucifix Decrees:\n\n From 1935-1941, there were many cars blowing horns, church bells ringing in order to produce a general sense of disruption.\n Many mother's visited delegation meetings and threatened to remove their children from school. \n Women were putting crucifixes around their children going into school's necks. \n In 1935, a group of men pushed their way into a school to replace Hitler's picture with a crucifix. \n The Bavarian Government Presidents expressed concern about the interference of Holy days and the morale of the Catholic population in August 1937.\n In upper Franconia women wrote letters to their husbands on the war fronts to tell them what was going on at home in order to show how the war and home fronts were not on the same page.\n\nHowever, another significant note is how there were different reactions to the crucifix decrees on Nazi leaders' sides. For example, in Oldenburg during 1936 a Gauleiter speech the crowd expected him to rescind the crucifix decrees, but he began his speech on racial problems in Africa. Another example occurred in the district of Ebergs where not a single crucifix was removed from the start. These examples show how single issues ranged among Nazi officials' levels of strictness.\n\nOne German term \"Handlungsspielraum\" is the collective opinion being expressed in a way that the regime has to respond to. This term signifies that organized protest, like those in the Crucifix Decrees among others, forces the regime to take notice and possible action.\n\nFurthermore, these events were part of Gleichschaltung on a larger note because of the all-encompassing mentality of the regime. This was a sign that the regime was taking a step into religion, yet not completely voluntarily on the citizens' side.\n\nA woman's role \nThe regime saw noteworthy public protests by primarily Catholics, like those resulting from the Crucifix Decrees, and women. Public protest in the war increased as each event was single-issue based. During wartime, with more women on the home-front there were more issues that became oppressive and therefore women found this as a \"source of complaint\". For example, the Rosenstrasse Protest and the Witten Women’s Protest were two reactions against specific actions: the Rosenstrasse Protest being one event and the Witten Women's Protest being a string of events.\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading \n\n Fest, Joachim C., (1997). Plotting Hitler's Death : the Story of the German resistance (1st Owl book ed.). New York: H. Holt and Co. . OCLC 37626211.\nRobert., Gellately, (2001). Backing Hitler : Consent and Coercion in Nazi Germany. Oxford: OUP Oxford. . OCLC 955228505.\nBukey, Evan Burr, (2000). Hitler's Austria : popular sentiment in the Nazi era, 1938-1945. Mazal Holocaust Collection. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press. . OCLC 40907702.\nClaudia Koonz (2003). The Nazi Conscience. New Haven: Harvard University Press.\nKuller, Christiane (2015). Stoltzfus, Nathan; Maier-Katkin, Birgit, eds. Protest in Hitler's \"National Community\": Popular Unrest and the Nazi Response. New York: Berghahn Books.\nStevenson, Jill (2015). Stoltzfus, Nathan; Maier-Katkin, Birgit, eds. Protest in Hitler's \"National Community\": Popular Unrest and the Nazi Response. New York: Berghahn Books.\n Stoltzfus, Nathan (2016) , Hitler’s Compromises: Coercion and Consensus in Nazi Germany, New Haven: Yale University Press, chapter III, \"Germany's Confessional Divide and the Struggle for Catholic Youth.\"\n\nNazism\nDecrees\nGerman evangelicals\nResistance movements",
"\"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" is a single by British pop rock group the Beautiful South from their sixth album, Quench (1998). It was written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray. The lyrics, which take the form of a conversation between two reconciling lovers, are noted for a reference to the TARDIS from Doctor Who. According to the book Last Orders at the Liars Bar: the Official Story of the Beautiful South, \"How Long's a Tear Take To Dry?\" was originally to be called \"She Bangs the Buns\" due to its chord structure reminiscent of Manchester's the Stone Roses. The song reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's twelfth and final top-twenty hit.\n\nSingle release\n\"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1999. Although not released on vinyl, it was given a dual-CD release in the UK. B-sides included a remix of \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" as well as acoustic versions of three other songs: \"Perfect 10\", \"Big Coin\", and \"Rotterdam\". On 18 March 1999, the band performed \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" live on the BBC music programme Top of the Pops.\n\nMusic video\nThe music video, available on The Beautiful South's compilation DVD Munch, is a humorous account of The Beautiful South on a world tour in order to pay for drinks at the local bar. The band is portrayed by cartoon versions of themselves, in a style reminiscent of 1960s-era Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and Scooby-Doo in particular. In the commentary track on the Munch DVD, Paul Heaton explains that the video was actually produced by Hanna-Barbera.\n\nTrack listings\n\nUK CD1\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\"\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" (remix)\n \"Perfect 10\" (acoustic)\n\nUK CD2\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\"\n \"Big Coin\" (acoustic)\n \"Rotterdam\" (acoustic)\n\nUK cassette single\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\"\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" (remix)\n\nEuropean CD single\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" (radio edit)\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\" (remix)\n \"Perfect 10\" (acoustic)\n \"Rotterdam\" (acoustic)\n\nGerman CD single\n \"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?\"\n \"Dumb\"\n \"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman\"\n \"Suck Harder\"\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\n Pattenden, Mike - Last Orders at the Liars Bar: the Official Story of the Beautiful South ()\n\n1999 singles\n1998 songs\nThe Beautiful South songs\nGo! Discs singles\nHanna-Barbera\nMercury Records singles\nSongs written by David Rotheray\nSongs written by Paul Heaton"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,",
"Why was Ashford replaced?",
"they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was \"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing\",",
"What happened to them next?",
"Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it \"close to home\". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single,",
"How did others take the protest single?",
"the controversial anti-war song, \"I Should Be Proud\", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart."
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What awards did they win if any? | 7 | What awards did Martha and the Vandellas win if any? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | true | [
"The 1952–53 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 29th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).\n\nOffseason\n\nRegular season\n\nFinal standings\n\nRecord vs. opponents\n\nSchedule and results\n\nPlayoffs\n\nPlayer statistics\n\nRegular season\nScoring\n\nGoaltending\n\nPlayoffs\nScoring\n\nGoaltending\n\nAwards and records\n\nAwards\n\nThe Boston Bruins did not win any NHL awards for the 1952-53 NHL season.\n\nAll-Star teams\n\nTransactions\n\nThe following is a list of all transactions that have occurred for the Boston Bruins during the 1952–53 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to and for which player(s) or other consideration(s), if applicable.\n\nSee also\n1952–53 NHL season\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nBoston Bruins season, 1952-53\nBoston Bruins season, 1952-53\nBoston Bruins seasons\nBoston\nBoston\n1950s in Boston",
"The 1952–53 Toronto Maple Leafs season was Toronto's 36th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).\n\nOffseason\n\nRegular season\n\nFinal standings\n\nRecord vs. opponents\n\nSchedule and results\n\nPlayoffs\n\nPlayer statistics\n\nRegular season\nScoring\n\nGoaltending\n\nAwards and records\n\nThe Toronto Maple Leafs did not win any NHL awards and no players were selected for the All-Star Teams for the 1952-53 NHL season.\n\nTransactions\n\nThe following is a list of all transactions that have occurred for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1952–53 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to and for which player(s) or other consideration(s), if applicable.\n\nSee also\n 1952–53 NHL season\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nToronto Maple Leafs season, 1952-53\nToronto Maple Leafs seasons\nTor"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,",
"Why was Ashford replaced?",
"they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was \"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing\",",
"What happened to them next?",
"Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it \"close to home\". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single,",
"How did others take the protest single?",
"the controversial anti-war song, \"I Should Be Proud\", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart.",
"What awards did they win if any?",
"After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad \"In and Out of My Life\" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, \"Tear It On Down\" (#37 US R&B),"
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What albums or singles did have after this? | 8 | What albums or singles did Martha and the Vandellas have? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | true | [
"Keepers of the Funk is the second album by rap group, Lords of the Underground. The album was released in November 1, 1994 for Pendulum Records and was produced by Marley Marl, K-Def, Lords of the Underground and Andre Booth. Though Keepers of the Funk was not as successful as Here Come the Lords, the album did gain some success, making it to #57 on the Billboard 200 and #16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album is now out of print.\n\nThree singles made it to the Billboard charts, \"Tic Toc\", \"What I'm After\" and \"Faith\".\n\nTrack listing\n\"Intro\"- 1:00 \n\"Ready or Not\"- 4:03 \n\"Tic Toc\"- 3:51 \n\"Keepers of the Funk\" (feat. George Clinton)- 4:18 \n\"Steam from da Knot\"- 3:07 \n\"What I'm After\" (feat. Redman)- 4:19 \n\"Faith\" (feat. Deniece Williams)- 4:02 \n\"Neva Faded\" (feat. Supreme C)- 5:16 \n\"No Pain\" (feat. Sah-B)- 3:53 \n\"Frustrated\" (feat. Sah-B)- 4:18 \n\"Yes Y'All\"- 4:17 \n\"What U See\"- 3:57 \n\"Outro\"- 1:28\n\nAlbum Chart Positions\n\nSingles Chart Positions\n\nReferences \n\n1994 albums\nLords of the Underground albums\nAlbums produced by K-Def\nAlbums produced by Marley Marl",
"What You Need is the tenth studio album by American contemporary R&B singer Stacy Lattisaw, released October 17, 1989 via Motown Records. It did not chart on the Billboard 200, but it peaked at #16 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was also Lattisaw's final album before she retired from the music industry.\n\nFour singles were released from the album: \"What You Need\", \"Where Do We Go from Here\", \"Dance for You\" and \"I Don't Have the Heart\". \"Where Do We Go from Here\" was the most successful single from the album, peaking at #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in 1990.\n\nTrack listing\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n \n \n\n1989 albums\nStacy Lattisaw albums\nAlbums produced by Timmy Regisford\nMotown albums"
]
|
[
"Martha and the Vandellas",
"\"Bless You\" (1969-1972)",
"What was Bless You?",
"In 1971, the group scored an international hit with \"Bless You\" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation).",
"What did the hit do for their career?",
"The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart.",
"What else is important about this time frame?",
"Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley,",
"Why was Ashford replaced?",
"they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was \"I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing\",",
"What happened to them next?",
"Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it \"close to home\". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single,",
"How did others take the protest single?",
"the controversial anti-war song, \"I Should Be Proud\", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart.",
"What awards did they win if any?",
"After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad \"In and Out of My Life\" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, \"Tear It On Down\" (#37 US R&B),",
"What albums or singles did have after this?",
"The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles."
]
| C_26e9f9c095234b70b1dd0c04c897d9d8_0 | What kind of solo career did Reeves have? | 9 | What kind of solo career did Reeves have after Martha and the Vandellas? | Martha and the Vandellas | Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s, although they could not reignite the fire that had made their records successful in the 1960s. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead. In 1971, the group scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" was their first UK Top 40 hit since "Forget Me Not", with the song reaching number thirty-three there. "Bless You" became a top 20 hit in Canada. It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. That record also signaled the end of the Motown era. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972. The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian. CANNOTANSWER | When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. | Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown.
An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "Come and Get These Memories", "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready for Love", "Bless You" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single.
During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones, and six Top Ten Pop Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Selected members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
History
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named the Del-Phis. Ashford, Beard, and lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks.
The group originally had up to six members, subsequently reduced to four. When one of the four left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, a former member of two groups, the Fascinations and the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know," which flopped. The Del-Phis then went to Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their "There He Is (At My Door)" featuring Williams on lead vocals, which also flopped.
Reeves reverted to a solo artist under the name Martha LaVaille in the hope of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson saw Reeves singing at a Detroit club, he offered her an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday rather than Thursday, Motown's usual audition day. Initially upset with Reeves, Stevenson soon assigned her as his secretary eventually responsible for handling Motown's auditions. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves were told by Gordy that they would need a new name. After failing to come up with a name on their own, Gordy gave the group the name The Vandellas. As stated in an interview with The History Makers, Ashford emphatically states that contrary to popular belief, The Vandellas were not named after Della Reese and Van Dyke Avenue, nor did Reeves come up with the name.
Motown major hit years (1962–1968)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, the Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became the Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually got the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. On the single and album, the song was titled "Heat Wave". It was sometime later that the song was retitled to avoid confusion with the Irving Berlin song.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Annette, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelley, formerly of the Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room" (#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Pop Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at No. 4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all-time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (US #70; R&B #22), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept the Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, the Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts. On June 28, 1965, the group appeared with several other popular acts of the period on CBS-TV's Murray The K-It's What's Happening, Baby. Martha, Rosalind and Betty performed "Nowhere to Run," as they skipped through a Ford auto plant and sat in a Ford Mustang convertible as it's being assembled.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris-produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' chart performance (and the chart performance of many Motown acts with the exception of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting among the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelley was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing success.
"Bless You" (1969–1972)
Reeves, out of the group temporarily due to illness, recovered and returned; Ashford was replaced by another former member of the Velvelettes, Sandra Tilley, and the group continued to release albums and singles into the early 1970s. Although they could not reignite the fire they had made in America they continued to have successful records the UK and abroad. Among their late 1960s hits was "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playing", which featured singer Syreeta Wright singing the chorus, and peaked at number forty-two. Reeves reportedly hated singing the song sensing it "close to home". In 1969 a reissue of "Nowhere To Run" reached the top 40 in the UK. In 1970, the group issued Motown's first protest single, the controversial anti-war song, "I Should Be Proud", which peaked at a modest forty-five on the R&B singles chart. The song was uncharacteristic of the Vandellas and did nothing to promote the group. On some stations, the flip-side "Love, Guess Who" was played instead, however the group reached the top 20 that year in the UK with a reissue of "Jimmy Mack".
In 1971, the group scored a top 11 hit in the UK with "Forget Me Not". later that year they scored an international hit with "Bless You" (produced by the Jackson 5's producers The Corporation). The song peaked at number fifty-three on the American pop singles chart (the biggest peak of Vandellas' seventies singles in the US), and number twenty-nine on the R&B singles chart. "Bless You" reached number thirty-three in the UK giving the group two big hits that year in England. . "Bless You" reached number 16 in Canada and went all the way to number 2 in Puerto Rico . It was to be the last Billboard Hot 100 hit single for the group. After two successive Top 40 R&B singles, the ballad "In and Out of My Life" (#22 US R&B) and the Marvin Gaye cover, "Tear It On Down" (#37 US R&B), the group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972, but Martha Reeves is still often billed as ‘Martha Reeves& The Vandellas’.
The next year, Reeves announced plans of starting a solo career. At the same time, Motown Records moved its operations to Los Angeles. When Reeves did not want to move, she negotiated out of her contract with Motown, signing with MCA in 1974, and releasing the critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Martha Reeves. Despite rave reviews of her work, neither of Reeves' post-Vandellas/Motown recordings produced the same success as they had the decade before. After living what she called "a rock & roll lifestyle" of prescription pills, cocaine and alcohol, Reeves sobered up in 1977, overcoming her addictions and becoming a born-again Christian.
Epilogue
After the Vandellas' split, Reeves' sister Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and sang background for Al Green, while Tilley retired from show business in the late 1970s, suddenly dying of a brain aneurysm in 1981 at the age of thirty-eight. Original member Gloria Williams, who retired from show business when she left the group, died in 2000. In 1978, Reeves and original Vandellas Ashford and Beard reunited at a Los Angeles benefit concert for actor Will Geer. In 1983, Reeves successfully sued for royalties from her Motown hits and the label agreed to have the songs credited as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from then on. That year, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which alongside some of their songs being placed on the Big Chill soundtrack, helped Reeves and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In 1989, original members Ashford and Beard also sued Motown for royalties. During this time, the original trio were inspired to reunite both as a recording act and in performances. They were offered a recording contract with Ian Levine at Motorcity Records who issued the group's first single since the Vandellas disbanded seventeen years earlier called "Step Into My Shoes."
Although they are no longer singing together full-time, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas have occasionally reunited for various concerts. Currently, Ashford, whose full name now is Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, and Beard, whose full name now is Annette Beard-Helton, continue to perform with other singers, most notably Roschelle Laughhunn, as "The Original Vandellas." Reeves, with her sisters Lois and Delphine Reeves, tour as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."
From 2005 to 2009, Reeves held the eighth seat of Detroit's city council. She has since lost her seat and told the press that she would continue performing.
A remake of the song "Nowhere To Run," sung by Arnold McCuller, is heard in the film "The Warriors" during the scene in which the Gramercy Riffs call a hit on the Warriors.
In a Season One episode of the television show The Golden Girls, Blanche described her car as the "noisiest thing to come out of Detroit since Martha & The Vandellas.".
Candice Bergen, who hosted the Saturday Night Live episode on which Martha Reeves appeared in its inaugural season, made sure that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were a presence throughout her "Murphy Brown" series. The group's picture was displayed prominently in Murphy's office. When Aretha Franklin guest starred and Murphy tried to sing with her, Franklin stopped her, saying, ". . .I'm not Martha, and you ain't no Vandella."
The group is briefly portrayed in the 2017 film Detroit, performing "Nowhere To Run" at the Fox Theatre, Detroit.
Awards and accolades
Martha and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (they were nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1964). In 1993, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Except for pre-Vandellas member Gloria Williamson and Vandellas member Sandra Tilley, all members of the group were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the second all-female group to be inducted. They were inducted by rock group The B-52's, whose frothy dance music was inspired by the Vandellas. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Two of their singles, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the group No. 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2005, Martha & The Vandellas were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Always concert favorites, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2010 and 2011 as "Best Headliner."
Martha and the Vandellas was inducted into the inaugural class of the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame at Cleveland State University August 2013
Lineups
The Del-Phis
1957–1962
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Gloria Williams
Martha & the Vandellas
1964–1967
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Betty Kelly
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1969–1972
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Tilley
The Original Vandellas
2000s-present
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Roschelle Laughhunn
Martha & the Vandellas
1962–1964
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Annette Beard-Helton
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
1967–1969
Martha Reeves
Rosalind Ashford-Holmes
Lois Reeves
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
2010–present
Martha Reeves
Lois Reeves
Delphine Reeves
Discography
For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Martha and the Vandellas discography
Albums
Come and Get These Memories (1963)
Heat Wave (1963)
Dance Party (1965)
Greatest Hits (1966)
Watchout! (1966)
Martha and the Vandellas Live! (1967)
Ridin' High (1968)
Sugar 'n' Spice (1969)
Natural Resources (1970)
Black Magic (1972)
Top 10 singles
The following singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 song chart in the U.S.
"Heat Wave" (1963)
"Quicksand" (1963)
"Dancing in the Street" (1964)
"Nowhere to Run" (1965)
"I'm Ready for Love" (1966)
"Jimmy Mack" (1967)
Awards and recognition
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" were inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame and were both included in the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
They were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 becoming just the second all-female group to be inducted and the fifth group in the Motown roster to be inducted.
They were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
They were nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 1964 for their hit song "Heat Wave"
"Dancing in the Street" was included in the United States Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its historical, artistic and cultural significance in 2006.
References
External links
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page on Martha and the Vandellas
'Martha and the Vandellas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
History of Rock page on Martha and the Vandellas
The Original Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes & Annette Beard-Helton) page
Martha and the Vandellas History, Charts and Songs
Martha & The Vandellas at Doo Wop Heaven
Martha & The Vandellas bio on the Soulwalking U.K. website.
African-American girl groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Detroit
Northern soul musicians
1957 establishments in Michigan
Musical groups disestablished in 1972
Singers from Detroit | true | [
"Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and philanthropist. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe. Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries around the world.\n\nEarly life\nBorn in Glasgow, Montana, in 1926, Reeves moved to California at age 10 with his mother Goldie Reeves after his father Lester Dell Reeves died in a farming accident. Reeves developed an interest in bodybuilding at Castlemont High School and trained at Ed Yarick's gym in Oakland, California. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, and served in the Philippines. After his military service Reeves attended California Chiropractic College in San Francisco.\n\nHe reigned as Mr. America of 1947, Mr. World of 1948, and Mr. Universe of 1950 in the pre Mr. Olympia era. The first Mr. Olympia was held fifteen years later in 1965. He was contacted by an agent who suggested he go into acting.\n\nCareer\n\nCecil B. de Mille\nReeves moved to New York where he studied acting under Stella Adler, but after arguments he was refunded his tuition. He studied instead at the Theodora Irvin School of the Theatre. He began performing a vaudeville act with a comedian named Dick Burney. One of Cecil B. De Mille's talent scouts saw him and had him tested for Samson and Delilah (1949). Reeves received a seven-year contract with Paramount. Reeves stated that De Mille wanted to cast him in the lead role, but told Reeves he had to lose 15 pounds in order to look convincing on-camera. Reeves says he tried to lose the weight and worked on his acting in preparation for the role over three months. Then, De Mille told him he was going to give the role to Victor Mature.\n\nEarly acting appearances\nIn 1949, Reeves filmed a Tarzan-type television pilot called Kimbar of the Jungle, and in 1950 became Mr. Universe. He appeared on television in Stars Over Hollywood in the episode \"Prison Doctor\" with Raymond Burr. He appeared on the TV series Topper (\"Reducing\"). In 1954, Reeves had a small supporting role as a cop in the Ed Wood film Jail Bait. It was his first film and earned him his Screen Actors Guild card. \"I had a suit on at all times,\" he later recalled. \"I even had a tie. Only took my shirt off once. Those were the days, huh?\" The same year Reeves was in the MGM musical Athena, playing the boyfriend of Jane Powell's character. These two films are the only ones Reeves made in the United States where his actual voice was used; Reeves acted in Italian-made films for the remainder of his career, where all dialogue and sound effects were added in post-production.\n\nReeves guest-starred on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show as the owner of a gym. On December 17, 1954, Reeves guest-starred in the ABC sitcom Where's Raymond?, starring Ray Bolger as Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man. Reeves played a well-built office employee whom Wallace sees in the company of Wallace's girlfriend, Susan.\n\nIn 1955, Reeves appeared in two Broadway shows, Kismet and The Vamp. Pictures of Reeves' costume test for the lead in Li'l Abner (1959) can be found on the Internet. He decided to quit acting and worked for American Health Studios in public relations, opening up fitness studios.\n\nHercules\n\nIn Italy, director Pietro Francisci wanted to make a film about Hercules but could not find anyone suitable to play the role. His daughter recommended Reeves on the basis of his appearance in Athena and Francisci offered him the role and a plane ticket to Italy. Reeves at first did not think he was serious but eventually agreed and flew to Italy to make the film. His fee was $10,000. Hercules was a relatively low-budget epic based loosely on the tales of Jason and the Argonauts, though inserting Hercules into the lead role.\n\nThe film proved popular in Europe. What made it an international sensation was when US distribution rights were bought by Joseph E. Levine who spent over $1 million promoting it, turning the film into a major box-office success, grossing $5 million in the United States in 1959. However this did not happen until Reeves had already made four more films in Europe.\n\nThe first was a sequel to Hercules, Hercules Unchained (1959), again directed by Pietro Francisci. Reeves was paid the same fee, although his wage would double from then on. This film was another huge success, being the third most popular film in Britain in 1960. Nonetheless Reeves would not play Hercules again, despite his identification with the role. Reeves' third film as star was The White Warrior (1959), based on Hadji Murat, the novel by Leo Tolstoy. He played Hadji Murad, a 19th-century Chechen chieftain who led his warriors in a fight against the invading Russians.\n\nReeves was then in Terror of the Barbarians playing Emilio, about the Lombard invasion of Italy. American International Pictures bought US rights and retitled it Goliath and the Barbarians (1959), with Reeves' character renamed \"Goliath\". The film earned $1.6 million in North America during its initial release where it was double billed with Sign of the Gladiator\n\nInjury\nReeves was Glaucus Leto in The Last Days of Pompeii (1959), based on the novel by Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton. It co-starred Christine Kaufmann and Fernando Rey and was mostly directed by Sergio Leone. During the filming, Reeves dislocated his shoulder when his chariot slammed into a tree; he re-injured it while swimming in a subsequent underwater escape scene. The injury would be aggravated by his stunt work in each successive film, ultimately leading to his retirement from filmmaking.\n\nU.S. directors\nReeves followed this with The Giant of Marathon (1959) where he was cast as Pheidippides, the famous wartime messenger of the Battle of Marathon. By now Reeves' success was such that his films would use Hollywood directors: Marathon was directed by Mario Bava and Jacques Tourneur. According to MGM records the film earned $1,335,000 in the US and Canada and $1.4 million elsewhere resulting in a profit of $429,000.\n\nReeves had a change of pace in Morgan, the Pirate (1960) where he played pirate and self-proclaimed governor of Jamaica, Captain Henry Morgan. Andre De Toth and Primo Zeglio directed.\nHe then did an \"Eastern\", The Thief of Baghdad (1961), playing Karim, directed by Arthur Lubin. In The Wooden Horse of Troy (1961) Reeves played Aeneas of Troy, opposite John Drew Barrymore. He co-starred with fellow body builder Gordon Scott in Duel of the Titans (1961), playing Romulus and Remus respectively. Sergio Corbucci directed. Reeves played Randus, the son of Spartacus in The Slave (1962) then reprised his role as Aeneas in War of the Trojans (1962) aka The Avenger.\n\nLater roles\n\nReeves played Sandokan in two films, both directed by Umberto Lenzi: Sandokan the Great (1963) and Pirates of Malaysia (1964). Reeves said that by this stage his fee was $250,000 a film. In 1968, Reeves appeared in his final film, a spaghetti Western he co-wrote, titled I Live For Your Death! (later released as A Long Ride From Hell). \"I ended up with an ulcer from that,\" he said later. \"That was my last.\"\n\nReeves reportedly turned down the James Bond role in Dr. No (1962) because of the low salary the producers offered. Reeves also declined the role that finally went to Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars (1964) because he did not believe that Italians could make a western out of a Japanese samurai film.\n\nGeorge Pal contacted Reeves for the role of Doc Savage in Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, the first of what was meant to be a film series, but when filming was about to begin a Hollywood writers strike put the film on hold with Reeves and the original director replaced. Reeves's last screen appearance was in 2000 when he appeared as himself in the made-for-television A&E Biography: Arnold Schwarzenegger Flex Appeal.\n\nPost-acting\nReeves decided to retire for several reasons: stress, his injury, and the decline in the market for his sort of movies. He had earned enough to retire and moved to the Suncrest Stock Ranch he purchased in Jacksonville just outside of Medford, Oregon – north of the California border. He later purchased a ranch in Valley Center, California. It would be his home for the rest of his life. Reeves bred horses and promoted drug-free bodybuilding. The last two decades of his life were spent in Valley Center, California where he bought a ranch with savings from his film career and lived there with his second wife, Aline, until her death in 1989.\n\nOther interests\nReeves' authorized biography, Steve Reeves – One of a Kind, was published in 1983 by Milton T. Moore. Moore worked with Reeves and Steve's wife at the time, Aline, for over 12 years before receiving publishing approval. Reeves reportedly would promote the book at public appearances. \n\nIn 1991, writer Chris LeClaire began writing and researching Steve Reeves' life and career for a biography. In 1999, LeClaire published Worlds To Conquer, which LeClaire described as an authorized biography. Reeves' companion Deborah Reeves Stewart stated that Reeves never approved or authorized Worlds to Conquer for final publication or release. Stewart was living with Reeves during the book's development phases and assisted Reeves reviewing drafts. She cited inaccuracies, careless writing, and failure to add Reeves' final comments as the reasons for his disapproval of the work.\n\nIn 1994, Reeves, with long-time friend and business partner George Helmer, started the Steve Reeves International Society. In 1996, it incorporated to become Steve Reeves International, Inc. In 2003, Helmer co-authored Steve Reeves – His Legacy in Films, and in 2010, Steve Reeves' Hercules Cookbook. In 2014, he published a Reeves biography, A Moment in Time – The Steve Reeves Story. Helmer is also the executor of the Reeves' estate, which owns the rights of Reeves' name and image.\n\nReeves wrote the book Powerwalking, and two self-published books, Building the Classic Physique - The Natural Way, and Dynamic Muscle Building. (Note that George Helmer published a revised and updated edition of the Powerwalking book in 2013.)\n\nFreelance writer Rod Labbe interviewed Reeves in 1997, and the article appeared in Films of the Golden Age magazine, summer 2011.\n\nDeath\nSteve had exploratory surgery late Friday afternoon on April 28, 2000 and died shortly before noon on Monday May 1, 2000 from a blood clot. Steve was diagnosed on that Saturday with lymphoma, from which his doctors were very optimistic he would make a full recovery. He died at Palomar Hospital in Escondido, California, where his second wife had also died.\n\nFilmography\n\nSee also\nList of male professional bodybuilders\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\nLeClaire, Christopher D. \"STEVE REEVES - WORLDS TO CONQUER - An Authorized Biography\" , December 1999, 2017. \nChapman, David. \"On The Cover: Steve Reeves\", Hardgainer, November 1992.\nMoore, Milton Jr. \"STEVE REEVES - One of a Kind (An Authorized and Approved Reeves Biography)\", 1983. \nHelmer, George. \"A Moment in Time - The Steve Reeves Story\", 2014 \nDowling, Dave and Helmer, George. \"STEVE REEVES - His Legacy in Films\", 2003\n\nExternal links\n \n Worlds To Conquer The Authorized Biography Of Steve Reeves\n Steve Reeves International Society\n\n How Steve Reeves Trained by John Grimek, Muscular Development November, 1964\n The Many Faces of Hercules at Brian's Drive-In Theater\n Reeves gallery and Reeves movie related articles\n\n1926 births\n2000 deaths\n20th-century American male actors\nAmerican bodybuilders\nAmerican expatriates in Italy\nAmerican male film actors\nAmerican male television actors\nUnited States Army personnel of World War II\nDeaths from cancer in California\nDeaths from lymphoma\nExpatriate male actors in Italy\nMale actors from California\nMale actors from Montana\nPeople associated with physical culture\nPeople from Glasgow, Montana\nProfessional bodybuilders",
"Michael Reeves (17 October 1943 – 11 February 1969) was an English film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the 1968 film Witchfinder General (known in the US as Conqueror Worm). A few months after the film's release, Reeves died in London at the age of 25 from an accidental alcohol and barbiturate overdose.\n\nHistory\n\nWitchfinder General\nIt is for his third and final movie, Witchfinder General, that Reeves is best remembered. He was only 24 years old when he co-wrote and directed it. In 2005, Total Film magazine named Witchfinder General the 15th-greatest horror film of all time. Made on a very modest budget in East Anglia and adapted from the novel by Ronald Bassett, Witchfinder General tells the story of Matthew Hopkins, the infamous lawyer-turned-witchhunter who blackmails and murders his way across the countryside. Reeves imbues the film with a powerful sense of the impossibility of behaving morally in a society whose conventions have broken down, and though it is by no means free of the conventions of low-budget horror, it stands as a notably powerful and evocative film.\n\nReeves wanted Donald Pleasence to play the title role, but American International Pictures, the film's co-financiers, insisted on using their resident horror star Vincent Price instead. This caused friction between the veteran actor and the young director. A famous story is told of how Reeves won Price's respect: Reeves was constantly telling Price to tone down his over-acting, and to play the role more seriously. Price eventually cracked, snapping, \"Young man, I have made eighty-four films. What have you done?\" Reeves replied: \"I've made three good ones.\"\n\nReeves continued to goad Price into delivering a vicious and brilliant performance, and only upon seeing the finished film did the actor realise what the director was up to, at which point Price took steps to bury the hatchet with Reeves. Witchfinder General was released to mixed reviews, with one notably savage notice by Alan Bennett appearing in The Listener, but was soon reassessed and gained generally favourable reviews.\n\nDeath\nMichael Reeves died in London a few months after the film's release. After shooting Witchfinder General he was at work on an adaptation of The Oblong Box but had difficulties getting projects off the ground and was suffering from depression and insomnia, for which he took tablets and received a variety of treatments from medical and psychiatric practitioners. On the morning of 11 February 1969, Reeves was found dead in his bedroom, aged 25, in Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge, by his cleaning lady. The coroner's report stated that Reeves's death (from a barbiturate overdose) was accidental, the dosage being too marginal to suggest intention.\n\nSelect filmography\n\nSlated projects\n\nSome films Reeves was apparently scheduled to direct or for which he was being considered were The Buttercup Chain and De Sade. Both of these films were completed with other directors. Also in development was a film concerning the IRA, which was announced as a forthcoming Tigon production in the trade press, with the title of \"O'Hooligan's Mob\". Reeves had talked of directing an adaptation of Walker Hamilton's novel \"All The Little Animals\", but this did not reach pre-production stage.\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nBFI, Michael Reeves\nBFI, Witchfinder General, review\nGuardian Unlimited, Michael Reeves: Witchfinder General review\n\n1943 births\n1969 deaths\n20th-century English screenwriters\n20th-century English male writers\nAccidental deaths in London\nBarbiturates-related deaths\nDrug-related deaths in England\nEnglish film directors\nEnglish male screenwriters\nPeople educated at Radley College\nPeople from Sutton, London"
]
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[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions"
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case? | 1 | Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"The Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia or simply, Root of Evil, is an American investigative crime podcast covering the Black Dahlia murder and suspect George Hodel. The podcast was produced as a partnership between Cadence13 and TNT as a companion to the fictional television series I Am the Night. The podcast is hosted by Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pecoraro, George Hodel's great-granddaughters. It features interviews with those who were impacted by the murder, including Hodel's relatives. The podcast charted in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, reaching the number one spot in the United States on April 21, 2019.\n\nBackground\n\nIn 1947, Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, was brutally murdered. The murder remains unsolved; however, George Hodel, a surgeon, was one of the primary suspects. After George Hodel's death in 1999, his son, Steve Hodel, a former homicide detective with the Los Angeles County Police Department, desired to learn more about his father and discovered information leading him to believe that George Hodel was the killer of the Black Dahlia.\n\nThe podcast is hosted by Hodel's great-granddaughters, Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pecoraro, the daughters of Fauna Hodel. Throughout the podcast, the sisters interview their relatives, discuss 70 years of family history, and reveal the ways the family changed after the Black Dahlia case. After her death in September 2017, Fauna Hodel's daughters began to sort through the things she left behind. In the podcast, Gentile and Pecoraro analyze audio recordings between Fauna and her mother, Tamar, George's daughter. Gentile and Pecoraro also reflect upon the weight that the Hodel name carries. This is the first time that the family members have publicly spoken about their past. Gentile and Pecoraro believe that their great-grandfather did kill Elizabeth Short.\n\nEpisodes\n\nAwards and nominations\nThe podcast was nominated for \"Best Crime Podcast\" at the 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, but lost the award to Man in the Window.\n\nSee also\nList of American crime podcasts\n George Hodel\n Fauna Hodel — Hodel's granddaughter and true-crime author\n I Am the Night, a 2019 TNT Drama TV miniseries, featuring Jefferson Mays as George Hodel\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\n The Root of Evil on Google Podcasts\n The Root of Evil on Apple Podcast\n The Root of Evil on Spotify\n The Root of Evil on Stitcher\n\nCrime podcasts\n2019 podcast debuts\n2019 podcast endings\nAudio podcasts",
"Thaddeus Franklin Brown (December 7, 1902 - October 9, 1970) was the police chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from July 18, 1966 to February 17, 1967. Brown, who was the LAPD's Chief of Detectives, was appointed police chief on July 18, 1966, following Chief William H. Parker's death on July 16, 1966. Brown was succeeded by Thomas Reddin on February 17, 1967. His brother, Finis Brown, was also on the LAPD, and was one of the noteworthy police officers who investigated the Elizabeth Short murder, also known as the Black Dahlia murder.\n\nEarly life\nThad F. Brown was born in Missouri and lived there until his early twenties. At 15, he quit school to work for 17 1/2 cents an hour in the lead and zinc mines near Joplin, Missouri. Four years later, now a married man, he moved to California. Brown soon applied for the LAPD and became an officer on January 11, 1926. Brown's badge number is 869.\n\nPolice career\nBrown investigated many high profile cases and their suspects, including L. Ewing Scott, Albert Dyer, William Edward \"The Fox\" Hickman, as well as Elizabeth Short's murder.\n\nPortrayal in media\nIn James Ellroy's 2014 novel, Perfidia, a fictionalized version of Thad Brown is portrayed as a supporting character.\nBrown's name was frequently mentioned on Dragnet in the early years, especially on the radio program: Detective Joe Friday's self-introduction would include \"the boss is Thad Brown, chief of detectives.\" Brown also makes an uncredited cameo as himself in the 1954 film. In season one episode 1 of Dragnet aired in December 1951, Thad Brown was portrayed by Raymond Burr.\n\nWith Brown’s approval, this speech was put into his mouth by Dragnet creator Jack Webb for an episode of the show that dealt with police corruption. It was often reprinted in newspapers, and read at police academies at the time:\n\nExternal links\nhttp://www.lmharnisch.com/thad_brown.html retrieved November 20, 2014\n retrieved November 20, 2014\n\nFurther reading\nHodel, Steve. The Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story, Arcade Publishing, 2003, \nHodel, Steve. Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder, Harper Perennial, 2004, \nHodel, Steve. Black Dahlia Avenger II: Presenting the Follow-Up Investigation and Further Evidence Linking Dr. George Hill Hodel to Los Angeles's Black Dahlia and other 1940s- LONE WOMAN MURDERS, Thoughtprint Press, 2012, \nHodel, Steve. Black Dahlia Avenger II 2014: Presenting the Follow-Up Investigation and Further Evidence Linking Dr. George Hill Hodel to Los Angeles's Black Dahlia and other 1940s Lone Woman Murders, Thoughtprint Press, 2014, \n\n1902 births\n1970 deaths\nChiefs of the Los Angeles Police Department\nPeople from Los Angeles"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death."
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Did the police have good evidence on suspects? | 2 | Did the police have good evidence on suspects in the black dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"The 2018 Sittwe bombings were a series of three bomb blasts in Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State. One police officer received minor injuries from the blasts.\n\nBackground \nEthnic Rakhine insurgent groups have been fighting the government of Myanmar since the early 1950s. Bombings are not uncommon in Myanmar due to the various ongoing insurgencies in the country, but they have been a rare occurrence in Rakhine State. However, Rakhine State has experienced an increase in guerrilla-style attacks by insurgents since 2016.\n\nBombings \nOne of the bombs exploded at around 4:30 am (MMT) in the backyard of a residence belonging to Tin Maung Swe, a state government secretary, whilst the other two went off near a high court and a land record office. The blasts slightly injured a police officer. Authorities suspected that Swe was targeted because of his high position in the local administration. Three unexploded bombs were recovered and defused by authorities afterwards.\n\nInvestigation \nSeven suspects were arrested by the Myanmar Police Force immediately after the bombing, whilst two others were detained later in the investigation. Naing Soe, a senior leader of the Arakan National Council (ANC) was among those arrested.\n\nOn 26 March 2018, the police released five of the nine suspects, including Naing Soe, after they failed to find evidence against them within 30 days as police procedure requires. The released suspects were originally charged under Myanmar's counter-terrorism laws, but their release was ordered by the court after the police failed to show evidence linking them to the bombings. An extension for the police's remand of three of the suspects still detained was approved by the court on the same day; two of the suspects were accused of illegally crossing the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, whilst another was accused of being involved with a bombing in Mrauk U.\n\nReferences \n\n2018 crimes in Myanmar\nFebruary 2018 crimes in Asia\nInternal conflict in Myanmar\n2018 bombings\nTerrorist incidents in Asia in 2018\nTerrorist incidents in Myanmar",
"The 2020 Stuttgart riot took place during the night of 21 June 2020 when hundreds fought street battles with police in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. During the riots numerous shops were looted.\n\nOn 20 June at 23:30, police investigated a 17-year-old in Schlossgarten for drug offences, whereupon about 200-500 sided with the accused and started to throw rocks and bottles at the police officers. The rioters screamed \"Fuck the Police\" and \"Allahu Akbar\" in videos recorded. Some rioters had prepared by wearing balaclavas while looting shops. The police apprehended 24 suspects.\n\nThe riot generated media coverage nationally internationally.\n\nIn the following weeks, police increased their presence in the city during weekends.\n\nThree weeks later, there was further rioting where eleven people were apprehended.\n\nPolice response \nTwo hundred police out of the surrounding area were called to the state capital. About a dozen police were wounded in the fighting and a number of police vehicles were destroyed.\n\nSuspects \nDuring the night, 24 suspects were apprehended, of which 14 were less than 21 years old and 7 were under 18. Half the apprehended were German citizens, of which 3 had a migration background (German: Migrationshintergrund) meaning their parents were not German citizens. The others originated from a number of countries: Somalia, Bosnia and Afghanistan.\n\n14 July police apprehended two further people suspected in having taken part in the violence and plunder.\n\nAt the beginning of November, 100 suspects were identified. 83 of these 100 suspects have a migration background. Several of the suspects were refugees.\n\nCriminal investigation \nAccording to police, extreme left activists obstructed the investigations by the police, who had asked the public for video recordings during the riots. The activists responded by flooding the police website with 7500 videos, unrelated to the Stuttgart riot, totalling more than 100GB to the police website to overload. The videos did not overload the police server but would waste police time as they had to be investigated.\n\nThe German police have made a number of suspect identifications using super recognisers.\n\nReferences \n\n2020 crimes in Germany\n2020s in Baden-Württemberg\n2020 riot\nAttacks on buildings and structures in 2020\nAttacks on buildings and structures in Germany\nAttacks on restaurants in Europe\nAttacks on shops in Europe\nCrime in Baden-Württemberg\nJune 2020 crimes in Europe\nJune 2020 events in Germany\nRiots and civil disorder in Germany"
]
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"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered"
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Are there any other interesting aspects about this article? | 3 | Besides the suspects, are there any other interesting aspects about this article? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | true | [
"Přírodní park Třebíčsko (before Oblast klidu Třebíčsko) is a natural park near Třebíč in the Czech Republic. There are many interesting plants. The park was founded in 1983.\n\nKobylinec and Ptáčovský kopeček\n\nKobylinec is a natural monument situated ca 0,5 km from the village of Trnava.\nThe area of this monument is 0,44 ha. Pulsatilla grandis can be found here and in the Ptáčovský kopeček park near Ptáčov near Třebíč. Both monuments are very popular for tourists.\n\nPonds\n\nIn the natural park there are some interesting ponds such as Velký Bor, Malý Bor, Buršík near Přeckov and a brook Březinka. Dams on the brook are examples of European beaver activity.\n\nSyenitové skály near Pocoucov\n\nSyenitové skály (rocks of syenit) near Pocoucov is one of famed locations. There are interesting granite boulders. The area of the reservation is 0,77 ha.\n\nExternal links\nParts of this article or all article was translated from Czech. The original article is :cs:Přírodní park Třebíčsko.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nNature near the village Trnava which is there\n\nTřebíč\nParks in the Czech Republic\nTourist attractions in the Vysočina Region",
"Damn Interesting is an independent website founded by Alan Bellows in 2005. The website presents true stories from science, history, and psychology, primarily as long-form articles, often illustrated with original artwork. Works are written by various authors, and published at irregular intervals. The website openly rejects advertising, relying on reader and listener donations to cover operating costs.\n\nAs of October 2012, each article is also published as a podcast under the same name. In November 2019, a second podcast was launched under the title Damn Interesting Week, featuring unscripted commentary on an assortment of news articles featured on the website's \"Curated Links\" section that week. In mid-2020, a third podcast called Damn Interesting Curio Cabinet began highlighting the website's periodic short-form articles in the same radioplay format as the original podcast.\n\nIn July 2009, Damn Interesting published the print book Alien Hand Syndrome through Workman Publishing. It contains some favorites from the site and some exclusive content.\n\nAwards and recognition \nIn August 2007, PC Magazine named Damn Interesting one of the \"Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites\".\nThe article \"The Zero-Armed Bandit\" by Alan Bellows won a 2015 Sidney Award from David Brooks in The New York Times.\nThe article \"Ghoulish Acts and Dastardly Deeds\" by Alan Bellows was cited as \"nonfiction journalism from 2017 that will stand the test of time\" by Conor Friedersdorf in The Atlantic.\nThe article \"Dupes and Duplicity\" by Jennifer Lee Noonan won a 2020 Sidney Award from David Brooks in the New York Times.\n\nAccusing The Dollop of plagiarism \n\nOn July 9, 2015, Bellows posted an open letter accusing The Dollop, a comedy podcast about history, of plagiarism due to their repeated use of verbatim text from Damn Interesting articles without permission or attribution. Dave Anthony, the writer of The Dollop, responded on reddit, admitting to using Damn Interesting content, but claiming that the use was protected by fair use, and that \"historical facts are not copyrightable.\" In an article about the controversy on Plagiarism Today, Jonathan Bailey concluded, \"Any way one looks at it, The Dollop failed its ethical obligations to all of the people, not just those writing for Damn Interesting, who put in the time, energy and expertise into writing the original content upon which their show is based.\"\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Official website\n\n2005 podcast debuts"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, \"It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer.\""
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Were there any credible confessions and suspects? | 4 | Were there any credible confessions and suspects in the black dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"The Montjuïc trial was a trial of anarchist suspects in the military Montjuïc Castle following the 1896 terrorist attack on the Barcelonean Corpus Christi procession. About 400 suspects were arrested, from whom 87 were put on trial and five executed. Stories of forced confessions through torture led to an 1898–1899 campaign for a judicial review of the trial organized through Alejandro Lerroux and his newspaper El Progreso. Republican support for Lerroux from this action led to his rise as a left-wing force in Barcelona.\n\nFollowing the bombing, Spanish Prime Minister Antonio Cánovas del Castillo ordered mass arrests of Barcelonan workers. During this period, \"Montjuïc\" became synonymous with barbarous torture based on the treatment of anarchists and other prisoners there. The suspects were held without water or food. They were given salted cod to exacerbate their thirst. The suspects were stripped and, instead of sleeping, were made to march in their cells while holding leg weights. Those who collapsed were waked with burns from hot irons. Suspects had their toenails pulled, genitals and feet crushed, and craniums put into compression devices. They were electrocuted. Guards extinguished cigars on their bodies.\n\nThough the bomber had fled the country, Cánovas had dozens of confessions by December. The prosecutor requested 28 death sentences and 59 life sentences. The military tribunal rejected all but five death sentences, which were fulfilled on May 4, 1897. An additional 20 suspects received prison sentences. The remaining 63 suspects were exonerated and deported elsewhere in Europe.\n\nResponse and legacy \n\nThe Spanish government lost the remainder of its international goodwill as news of its state-sponsored torture spread. The dispersed deportees, amplified by the international press, became celebrities as the living proof of the \"crimes of Montjuïc\". Deportees bared their scars before appalled meeting halls in the United Kingdom and United States. The Montjuïc-deported anarchist Fernando Tarrida del Mármol's Les inquisiteurs d’Espagne (Montjuich, Cuba, Philippines) influentially brought the Montjuïc events to a wider audience. This international pressure exacerbated that which the Spanish government already felt in response to its treatment of Cuban civilians.\n\nCuban independence advocates used international disgust with Spanish barbarism to unite disparate groups. Cuban bourgeois separatists and anarchists put aside disagreements to organize against the Spanish military and government. Cuban revolutionaries in Europe housed Montjuïc deportees. In Paris, Puerto Rico and Cuba independence advocate Ramón Emeterio Betances led a campaign against Spanish backwardness. In London, Cuban advocates held a mass meeting in Hyde Park and a British anarchist \"Spanish Atrocities Committee\" held a large demonstration in Trafalgar Square in May 1897. The American public was more roiled by the Spanish atrocities than by the domestic 1886 Haymarket affair. Anarchist and feminist Voltairine de Cleyre's pamphlet The Modern Inquisition in Spain sold through its printing. American anarchists demonstrated outside the Spanish embassy in New York.\n\nAnarchist Michele Angiolillo assassinated Prime Minister Cánovas in retaliation for his role in the trial and its executions.\n\nSee also \n\n Liceu bombing, an attack earlier in the decade that ended with laborers tortured in Montjuïc\n\nReferences\n\nBibliography\n\nFurther reading\n\nExternal links \n\n Full text of Les inquisiteurs d'Espagne by Fernando Tarrida del Mármol\n\n1896 in Spain\n19th century in Catalonia\n1890s events\nAnarchism in Spain\nTorture in Spain\nTrials in Spain",
"The PEACE method of investigative interviewing is a five stage process in which investigators try to build rapport and allow a criminal suspect to provide their account of events uninterrupted, before presenting the suspect with any evidence of inconsistencies or contradictions. It is used to obtain a full account of events from a suspect rather than just seeking a confession - which is the goal of the Reid technique, in which interrogators are more aggressive, accusative, and threatening in terms of proposing consequences for the suspect's failure to confess to the crime.\n\nThe PEACE method, which \"encourages more of a dialogue between investigator and suspect\" was developed in Britain in response to the realisation that psychologically coercive techniques often led to false confessions. In 2015, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police adopted a new standard influenced by the PEACE model. Sergeant Darren Carr, who trains police with the new approach, described it as \"less Kojak and more Dr. Phil\". This approach eschews the use of deceptive information to overwhelm suspects. It emphasizes information gathering over eliciting confessions and discourages investigators from presuming a suspect's guilt.\n\nStages\n\nPlanning and preparation \nThis requires investigators to find out as much as they can about the incident under investigation, including who needs to be interviewed and why.\n\nEngage and Explain \nThe purpose of this stage is to establish rapport and is described in the literature as the most influential aspect in whether or not an interview is successful. It involves showing concern for the subject's welfare by asking how they want to be addressed, how much time they've got available to be interviewed and giving reassurance if the person seems anxious or nervous.\n\nAccount — Clarification and challenge \nThis stage is where interviewer attempts to obtain a full account of events from the subject without interrupting. Once the subject has explained what happened, the interview can ask follow up questions which allow them to expand and clarify their account of events. If necessary this may involve challenging aspects of the interviewee's story if contradictory information is available.\n\nClosure \nThis stage involves summarizing the subject's account of what happened and is designed to ensure there is mutual understanding between interviewer and interviewee about what has taken place. It also involves verifying that everything that needs to be discussed has been covered.\n\nEvaluation \nThis stage requires the interviewer to examine whether they achieved what they wanted from the interview; to review the status of the investigation in the light of any new information that was received; and to reflect upon how well the interview went and what, if anything, could have been done differently.\n\nEffectiveness \nHow well the PEACE method works appears to depend primarily on how well trained the interviewers are. In a study published in the British Psychological Society related to benefit fraud, 63% of (non-police) interviewers who displayed an acceptable level of competence in their interviewing ability obtained comprehensive accounts or full confessions from subjects. Even when subjects denied any offending, these interviewers still obtained a comprehensive account of what happened. This reaffirmed the importance of eliciting and fully testing the suspects’ accounts of events. In the same study, 92% of interviewers who did not display competence in their interviewing technique failed to obtain a comprehensive account of events or a confession from their subjects.\n\nHowever, skill and training are not the only factors at play. Half the suspects in this study confessed even though the interviewers' skills were considered less than satisfactory. This suggests that \"some suspects enter the interview room having decided to confess and will carry out this decision irrespective of the investigator’s performance\".\n\nIn addition to investigations into benefit fraud, several studies have noted that training the police in the PEACE model has also produced beneficial results.\n\nInternational adoption \n\nAs at November 2017, the PEACE method has been adopted by police forces in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and parts of Canada. Vietnam and Indonesia were also considering using this approach.\n\nReferences\n\nCriminal justice\nInterrogation techniques"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, \"It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer.\"",
"Were there any credible confessions and suspects?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | What eventually happened to the case? | 5 | What eventually happened to the black dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"Don Juan Manuel's Tales of Count Lucanor, in Spanish Libro de los ejemplos del conde Lucanor y de Patronio (Book of the Examples of Count Lucanor and of Patronio), also commonly known as El Conde Lucanor, Libro de Patronio, or Libro de los ejemplos (original Old Castilian: Libro de los enxiemplos del Conde Lucanor et de Patronio), is one of the earliest works of prose in Castilian Spanish. It was first written in 1335.\n\nThe book is divided into four parts. The first and most well-known part is a series of 51 short stories (some no more than a page or two) drawn from various sources, such as Aesop and other classical writers, and Arabic folktales.\n\nTales of Count Lucanor was first printed in 1575 when it was published at Seville under the auspices of Argote de Molina. It was again printed at Madrid in 1642, after which it lay forgotten for nearly two centuries.\n\nPurpose and structure\n\nA didactic, moralistic purpose, which would color so much of the Spanish literature to follow (see Novela picaresca), is the mark of this book. Count Lucanor engages in conversation with his advisor Patronio, putting to him a problem (\"Some man has made me a proposition...\" or \"I fear that such and such person intends to...\") and asking for advice. Patronio responds always with the greatest humility, claiming not to wish to offer advice to so illustrious a person as the Count, but offering to tell him a story of which the Count's problem reminds him. (Thus, the stories are \"examples\" [ejemplos] of wise action.) At the end he advises the Count to do as the protagonist of his story did.\n\nEach chapter ends in more or less the same way, with slight variations on: \"And this pleased the Count greatly and he did just so, and found it well. And Don Johán (Juan) saw that this example was very good, and had it written in this book, and composed the following verses.\" A rhymed couplet closes, giving the moral of the story.\n\nOrigin of stories and influence on later literature\nMany of the stories written in the book are the first examples written in a modern European language of various stories, which many other writers would use in the proceeding centuries. Many of the stories he included were themselves derived from other stories, coming from western and Arab sources.\n\nShakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew has the basic elements of Tale 35, \"What Happened to a Young Man Who Married a Strong and Ill-tempered Woman\".\n\nTale 32, \"What Happened to the King and the Tricksters Who Made Cloth\" tells the story that Hans Christian Andersen made popular as The Emperor's New Clothes.\n\nStory 7, \"What Happened to a Woman Named Truhana\", a version of Aesop's The Milkmaid and Her Pail, was claimed by Max Müller to originate in the Hindu cycle Panchatantra.\n\nTale 2, \"What happened to a good Man and his Son, leading a beast to market,\" is the familiar fable The miller, his son and the donkey.\n\nIn 2016, Baroque Decay released a game under the name \"The Count Lucanor\". As well as some protagonists' names, certain events from the books inspired past events in the game.\n\nThe stories\n\nThe book opens with a prologue which introduces the characters of the Count and Patronio. The titles in the following list are those given in Keller and Keating's 1977 translation into English. James York's 1868 translation into English gives a significantly different ordering of the stories and omits the fifty-first.\n\n What Happened to a King and His Favorite \n What Happened to a Good Man and His Son \n How King Richard of England Leapt into the Sea against the Moors\n What a Genoese Said to His Soul When He Was about to Die \n What Happened to a Fox and a Crow Who Had a Piece of Cheese in His Beak\n How the Swallow Warned the Other Birds When She Saw Flax Being Sown \n What Happened to a Woman Named Truhana \n What Happened to a Man Whose Liver Had to Be Washed \n What Happened to Two Horses Which Were Thrown to the Lion \n What Happened to a Man Who on Account of Poverty and Lack of Other Food Was Eating Bitter Lentils \n What Happened to a Dean of Santiago de Compostela and Don Yllán, the Grand Master of Toledo\n What Happened to the Fox and the Rooster \n What Happened to a Man Who Was Hunting Partridges \n The Miracle of Saint Dominick When He Preached against the Usurer \n What Happened to Lorenzo Suárez at the Siege of Seville \n The Reply that count Fernán González Gave to His Relative Núño Laynes \n What Happened to a Very Hungry Man Who Was Half-heartedly Invited to Dinner \n What Happened to Pero Meléndez de Valdés When He Broke His Leg \n What Happened to the Crows and the Owls \n What Happened to a King for Whom a Man Promised to Perform Alchemy \n What Happened to a Young King and a Philosopher to Whom his Father Commended Him \n What Happened to the Lion and the Bull \n How the Ants Provide for Themselves \n What Happened to the King Who Wanted to Test His Three Sons \n What Happened to the Count of Provence and How He Was Freed from Prison by the Advice of Saladin\n What Happened to the Tree of Lies \n What Happened to an Emperor and to Don Alvarfáñez Minaya and Their Wives \n What Happened in Granada to Don Lorenzo Suárez Gallinato When He Beheaded the Renegade Chaplain \n What Happened to a Fox Who Lay down in the Street to Play Dead \n What Happened to King Abenabet of Seville and Ramayquía His Wife \n How a Cardinal Judged between the Canons of Paris and the Friars Minor \n What Happened to the King and the Tricksters Who Made Cloth \n What Happened to Don Juan Manuel's Saker Falcon and an Eagle and a Heron \n What Happened to a Blind Man Who Was Leading Another \n What Happened to a Young Man Who Married a Strong and Ill-tempered Woman\n What Happened to a Merchant When He Found His Son and His Wife Sleeping Together \n What Happened to Count Fernán González with His Men after He Had Won the Battle of Hacinas \n What Happened to a Man Who Was Loaded down with Precious Stones and Drowned in the River \n What Happened to a Man and a Swallow and a Sparrow \n Why the Seneschal of Carcassonne Lost His Soul \n What Happened to a King of Córdova Named Al-Haquem \n What Happened to a Woman of Sham Piety \n What Happened to Good and Evil and the Wise Man and the Madman \n What Happened to Don Pero Núñez the Loyal, to Don Ruy González de Zavallos, and to Don Gutier Roiz de Blaguiello with Don Rodrigo the Generous \n What Happened to a Man Who Became the Devil's Friend and Vassal \n What Happened to a Philosopher who by Accident Went down a Street Where Prostitutes Lived \n What Befell a Moor and His Sister Who Pretended That She Was Timid \n What Happened to a Man Who Tested His Friends \n What Happened to the Man Whom They Cast out Naked on an Island When They Took away from Him the Kingdom He Ruled \n What Happened to Saladin and a Lady, the Wife of a Knight Who Was His Vassal \n What Happened to a Christian King Who Was Very Powerful and Haughty\n\nReferences\n\nNotes\n\nBibliography\n\n Sturm, Harlan\n\n Wacks, David\n\nExternal links\n\nThe Internet Archive provides free access to the 1868 translation by James York.\nJSTOR has the to the 1977 translation by Keller and Keating.\nSelections in English and Spanish (pedagogical edition) with introduction, notes, and bibliography in Open Iberia/América (open access teaching anthology)\n\n14th-century books\nSpanish literature\n1335 books",
"Ward v. Tesco Stores Ltd. [1976] 1 WLR 810, is an English tort law case concerning the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur (\"the thing speaks for itself\"). It deals with the law of negligence and it set an important precedent in so called \"trip and slip\" cases which are a common occurrence.\n\nFacts\nThe plaintiff slipped on some pink yoghurt in a Tesco store in Smithdown Road, Liverpool. It was not clear whether or not Tesco staff were to blame for the spillage. It could have been another customer, or the wind, or anything else. Spillages happened roughly 10 times a week and staff had standing orders to clean anything up straight away. As Lawton LJ observed in his judgment,\n\nThe trial judge had held in Mrs Ward's favour and she was awarded £137.50 in damages. Tesco appealed.\n\nJudgment\nIt was held by a majority (Lawton LJ and Megaw LJ) that even though it could not be said exactly what happened, the pink yoghurt being spilled spoke for itself as to who was to blame. Tesco was required to pay compensation. The plaintiff did not need to prove how long the spill had been there, because the burden of proof was on Tesco. Lawton LJ's judgment explained the previous case law, starting with Richards v. WF White & Co. [1957] 1 Lloyd's Rep.\n\nDissent\nOmrod LJ disagreed with Lawton LJ and Megaw LJ on the basis that Tesco did not seem to have been able to do anything to have prevented the accident. He argued that they did not fail to take reasonable care, and in his words, the accident \"could clearly have happened no matter what degree of care these defendants had taken.\"\n\nNotes\n\nEnglish tort case law\nEnglish occupier case law\nCourt of Appeal (England and Wales) cases\n1976 in case law\n1976 in British law\nTesco"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, \"It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer.\"",
"Were there any credible confessions and suspects?",
"I don't know.",
"What eventually happened to the case?",
"Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman"
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Whom did the experts suspect as the criminal? | 6 | Whom did the experts suspect as the criminal in the black dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"\"Person of interest\" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no legal meaning, but refers to someone in whom the police are \"interested\", either because the person is cooperating with the investigation, may have information that would assist the investigation, or possesses certain characteristics that merit further attention.\n\nWhile terms such as suspect, target, and material witness have clear and sometimes formal definitions, person of interest remains undefined by the U.S. Department of Justice. Unsub is a similar term which is short for \"unknown subject\" (used in the TV show Criminal Minds). Person of interest is usually used as a euphemism for suspect, and its careless use may encourage trials by media. \n\nWith respect to terrorism investigations, Eric Lichtblau wrote in the New York Times: \"Law enforcement officials say that the term simply reflects the new tactics required to fight terrorism. But some legal scholars say officials are trying to create a more benign public image, even as their power expands.\"\n\nHistory\nThis phrase was first utilized by law enforcement in 1986, during the investigation of the Green River Killer. It was coined by Fae Brooks, a member of the King County Sheriff's Department at the time of the investigation.\n\nAccording to Eric Lichtbau in The New York Times:\n\nThe term was used widely in mass media at least as early as the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing in reference to Richard A. Jewell. Its initial uses aroused controversy, but it has since seen increasingly regular use. Jewell later remarked on the use of the term:\n\nHatfill v. Ashcroft\nThe use of the term became widely critiqued when United States Attorney General John Ashcroft used it in a press conference when asked if Dr. Steven J. Hatfill was a suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks case. In 2002, Hatfill's attorney filed a complaint with the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, arguing that \"the term is not recognized in law or criminal procedure and that Ashcroft did not have the right 'to preside over the public shredding of [Hatfill's] life. This is un-American. Mr. Ashcroft owes Dr. Hatfill an apology. Hatfill sued the Department of Justice for violation of federal privacy law; the case was settled in 2008 for $5.8 million.\n\nDefinition\nNormal Justice Department parlance for subjects of investigation includes \"suspect\", \"subject\" and \"target\". Each has specific meanings relevant to different levels of investigation. Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, wrote to the Attorney General for clarification of the unfamiliar phrase in September 2002. In December of that year, Nuclear Threat Initiative's Global Security Newswire summarized the response as follows:\n\nSee also\n Targeted surveillance\n\nReferences\n\n2001 anthrax attacks\nCriminal investigation\nEuphemisms\nLegal terminology\nhttps://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/02/07/Police-question-man-in-serial-murder-case/8791508136400/",
"Arguido (male, ) or arguida (female, ), normally translated \"named suspect\" or \"formal suspect\", is a status in Portuguese type legal systems, including those of Portugal, Angola and Mozambique.\nIt is given to a person whom the authorities suspect may have committed an offence.\nThis designation does not exist in certain other jurisdictions.\nIn a criminal investigation a person has to be declared an arguido prior to being arrested. Portuguese law makes a distinction between arguido and suspect.\n\nThe rights of an arguido\n\nIf a person becomes an arguido, they automatically gain certain rights that a witness or suspect would not have. An arguido has the right to be accompanied by a lawyer when questioned. The investigating police may ask the arguido more direct accusatory questions (the answers to which would not be admissible in court if possibly self-incriminatory and asked of a non-arguido) but the arguido must be presented with whatever evidence is held against them, and unlike a witness has the right to remain silent, not to answer any question that may incriminate the person, and does not face legal action for lying.\n\nWitnesses in criminal investigations are legally bound to co-operate with the police and do not have the right to silence and face legal actions if they lie. Because of the legal advantages, some individuals apply for arguido status to be given to themselves, e.g. when it would appear that the police suspect them but are trying to use their witness status to extract as much information as possible.\n\nA person who has arguido status has not been formally accused of a crime, arrested or charged,\nand not all arguidos are subsequently charged.\nThe police may ask a court to restrict an arguido'''s movement and oblige them to not leave the country.Arguidos cannot change their place of residence, without permission from a court.\nThere is no time limit on the status.\n\nComparison with common-law administrations\nThe status is very similar to that of being \"questioned under caution\" under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in the United Kingdom or being questioned after being read one's \"Miranda Rights\" in the USA, specifically the right to legal representation, the liberty to refuse to answer questions, and the admissibility in court of statements taken whilst in those statuses.\n\nEtymologyArguido derives from the Latin arguire or arguere. The English words argue and argument'' have the same etymology.\n\nReferences\n\nPortuguese criminal law\nCriminal law legal terminology\nPortuguese words and phrases\nCriminals by status\nCivil law legal terminology\n\nno:Siktelse"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, \"It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer.\"",
"Were there any credible confessions and suspects?",
"I don't know.",
"What eventually happened to the case?",
"Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman",
"Whom did the experts suspect as the criminal?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Are there any other interesting aspects about this article? | 7 | Besides the expert opinions, are there any other interesting aspects about this article? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | true | [
"Přírodní park Třebíčsko (before Oblast klidu Třebíčsko) is a natural park near Třebíč in the Czech Republic. There are many interesting plants. The park was founded in 1983.\n\nKobylinec and Ptáčovský kopeček\n\nKobylinec is a natural monument situated ca 0,5 km from the village of Trnava.\nThe area of this monument is 0,44 ha. Pulsatilla grandis can be found here and in the Ptáčovský kopeček park near Ptáčov near Třebíč. Both monuments are very popular for tourists.\n\nPonds\n\nIn the natural park there are some interesting ponds such as Velký Bor, Malý Bor, Buršík near Přeckov and a brook Březinka. Dams on the brook are examples of European beaver activity.\n\nSyenitové skály near Pocoucov\n\nSyenitové skály (rocks of syenit) near Pocoucov is one of famed locations. There are interesting granite boulders. The area of the reservation is 0,77 ha.\n\nExternal links\nParts of this article or all article was translated from Czech. The original article is :cs:Přírodní park Třebíčsko.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nNature near the village Trnava which is there\n\nTřebíč\nParks in the Czech Republic\nTourist attractions in the Vysočina Region",
"Damn Interesting is an independent website founded by Alan Bellows in 2005. The website presents true stories from science, history, and psychology, primarily as long-form articles, often illustrated with original artwork. Works are written by various authors, and published at irregular intervals. The website openly rejects advertising, relying on reader and listener donations to cover operating costs.\n\nAs of October 2012, each article is also published as a podcast under the same name. In November 2019, a second podcast was launched under the title Damn Interesting Week, featuring unscripted commentary on an assortment of news articles featured on the website's \"Curated Links\" section that week. In mid-2020, a third podcast called Damn Interesting Curio Cabinet began highlighting the website's periodic short-form articles in the same radioplay format as the original podcast.\n\nIn July 2009, Damn Interesting published the print book Alien Hand Syndrome through Workman Publishing. It contains some favorites from the site and some exclusive content.\n\nAwards and recognition \nIn August 2007, PC Magazine named Damn Interesting one of the \"Top 100 Undiscovered Web Sites\".\nThe article \"The Zero-Armed Bandit\" by Alan Bellows won a 2015 Sidney Award from David Brooks in The New York Times.\nThe article \"Ghoulish Acts and Dastardly Deeds\" by Alan Bellows was cited as \"nonfiction journalism from 2017 that will stand the test of time\" by Conor Friedersdorf in The Atlantic.\nThe article \"Dupes and Duplicity\" by Jennifer Lee Noonan won a 2020 Sidney Award from David Brooks in the New York Times.\n\nAccusing The Dollop of plagiarism \n\nOn July 9, 2015, Bellows posted an open letter accusing The Dollop, a comedy podcast about history, of plagiarism due to their repeated use of verbatim text from Damn Interesting articles without permission or attribution. Dave Anthony, the writer of The Dollop, responded on reddit, admitting to using Damn Interesting content, but claiming that the use was protected by fair use, and that \"historical facts are not copyrightable.\" In an article about the controversy on Plagiarism Today, Jonathan Bailey concluded, \"Any way one looks at it, The Dollop failed its ethical obligations to all of the people, not just those writing for Damn Interesting, who put in the time, energy and expertise into writing the original content upon which their show is based.\"\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Official website\n\n2005 podcast debuts"
]
|
[
"Black Dahlia",
"Suspects and confessions",
"Who were the main suspects in the Black Dahlia case?",
"over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death.",
"Did the police have good evidence on suspects?",
"that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, \"It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer.\"",
"Were there any credible confessions and suspects?",
"I don't know.",
"What eventually happened to the case?",
"Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman",
"Whom did the experts suspect as the criminal?",
"I don't know.",
"Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?",
"Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short),"
]
| C_0daa0e744f304040bdbe3e819164213b_1 | Was Norman Chandler a suspect? | 8 | Was Norman Chandler a suspect in the black dahlia case? | Black Dahlia | The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. Since the initial investigation, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom were not even born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer." During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men, but several from women. In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Los Angeles Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where Short's body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor who drove by that morning had planned on dropping a bag full of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with his right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. The neighbor's arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away from the lot. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion. Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler (whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short), Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, George Hill Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson. CANNOTANSWER | Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include Walter Bayley, Norman Chandler ( | Elizabeth Short (July 29, 1924 – January 15, 1947), known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized due to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.
A native of Boston, Short spent her early life in New England and Florida before relocating to California, where her father lived. It is commonly held that Short was an aspiring actress, though she had no known acting credits or jobs during her time in Los Angeles. She would acquire the nickname of the Black Dahlia posthumously, as newspapers of the period often nicknamed particularly lurid crimes; the term may have originated from a film noir murder mystery, The Blue Dahlia, released in 1946. After the discovery of her body, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began an extensive investigation that produced over 150 suspects but yielded no arrests.
Short's unsolved murder and the details surrounding it have had a lasting cultural intrigue, generating various theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequently cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history, as well as one of the oldest unsolved cases in Los Angeles County. It has likewise been credited by historians as one of the first major crimes in post–World War II America to capture national attention.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth Short was born on July 29, 1924, in the Hyde Park section of Boston, Massachusetts, the third of five daughters of Cleo A. Short and wife Phoebe May Sawyer. In 1927 the Short family briefly relocated to Portland, Maine, before settling in Medford, a suburb of Boston, that same year. Short's father built miniature golf courses until he lost most of his savings in the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930 his car was found abandoned on the Charlestown Bridge, and it was assumed that he had jumped into the Charles River. Believing her husband to be deceased, Short's mother began working as a bookkeeper to support the family.
Troubled by bronchitis and severe asthma attacks, Short underwent lung surgery at age 15, after which doctors suggested she periodically relocate to a milder climate to prevent further respiratory problems. Short's mother sent her to spend winters in Miami, Florida, with family friends for the next three years. In her sophomore year, Short dropped out of Medford High School.
Relocation to California
In late 1942 Short's mother received a letter of apology from her presumed-deceased husband, which revealed that he was in fact alive and had started a new life in California. In December, at age 18, Short relocated to Vallejo, California, to live with her father, whom she had not seen since age 6. At the time he was working at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard on San Francisco Bay. Arguments between Short and her father led to her moving out in January 1943.
Short took a job at the Base Exchange at Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base) near Lompoc, briefly living with a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant who reportedly abused her. She left Lompoc in mid-1943 and moved to Santa Barbara, where she was arrested on September 23, 1943, for drinking at a local bar while underage. The juvenile authorities sent her back to Massachusetts but she returned instead to Florida, making only occasional visits to her family near Boston.
While in Florida, Short met Major Matthew Michael Gordon, Jr., a decorated Army Air Force officer of the 2nd Air Commando Group, who was training for deployment to Southeast Asian theater of World War II. Short later told friends that Gordon had written to propose marriage while he was recovering from injuries from a plane crash in India. She accepted his offer, but Gordon died in a second crash on August 10, 1945, less than a week before the end of the war.
In July 1946, Short relocated to Los Angeles to visit Army Air Force Lieutenant Joseph Gordon Fickling, an acquaintance from Florida, who was stationed at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Long Beach. Short spent the last six months of her life in southern California, mostly in the Los Angeles area; shortly before her death she had been working as a waitress, and rented a room behind the Florentine Gardens nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. She has been variously described and depicted as an aspiring or "would-be" actress. According to some sources, she did in fact have aspirations to be a film star, though she had no known acting jobs or credits.
Murder
Prior to murder
On January 9, 1947, Short returned to her home in Los Angeles after a brief trip to San Diego with Robert "Red" Manley, a 25-year-old married salesman she had been dating. Manley stated that he dropped Short off at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and that Short was to meet her sister, who was visiting from Boston, that afternoon. By some accounts, staff of the Biltmore recalled having seen Short using the lobby telephone. Shortly after, she was allegedly seen by patrons of the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge at 754 South Olive Street, approximately away from the Biltmore.
Discovery
On the morning of January 15, 1947, Short's naked body, severed into two pieces, was found on a vacant lot on the west side of South Norton Avenue, midway between Coliseum Street and West 39th Street (at ) in the neighborhood of Leimert Park. At the time, Leimert Park was largely undeveloped. Local resident Betty Bersinger discovered the body at approximately 10 a.m. while walking with her three-year-old daughter, initially thinking she had found a discarded store mannequin. When she realized it was a corpse, she rushed to a nearby house and telephoned the police.
Short's severely mutilated body was completely severed at the waist and drained of blood, leaving her skin a pallid white. Medical examiners determined that she had been dead for around ten hours prior to the discovery, leaving her time of death either sometime during the evening of January 14 or the early morning hours of January 15. The body had apparently been washed by the killer. Short's face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, creating an effect known as the "Glasgow smile". She had several cuts on her thigh and breasts, where entire portions of flesh had been sliced away. The lower half of her body was positioned a foot away from the upper, and her intestines had been tucked neatly beneath her buttocks. The corpse had been "posed", with her hands over her head, her elbows bent at right angles, and her legs spread apart.
Upon the discovery, a crowd of passersby and reporters began to gather; Los Angeles Herald-Express reporter Aggie Underwood was among the first to arrive at the scene, and took several photos of the corpse and crime scene. Near the body, detectives located a heel print on the ground amid the tire tracks, and a cement sack containing watery blood was also found nearby.
Autopsy and identification
An autopsy of Short's body was performed on January 16, 1947, by Frederick Newbarr, the Los Angeles County coroner. Newbarr's autopsy report stated that Short was tall, weighed , and had light blue eyes, brown hair, and badly decayed teeth. There were ligature marks on her ankles, wrists, and neck, and an "irregular laceration with superficial tissue loss" on her right breast. Newbarr also noted superficial lacerations on the right forearm, left upper arm, and the lower left side of the chest.
The body had been cut completely in half by a technique taught in the 1930s called a hemicorporectomy. The lower half of her body had been removed by transecting the lumbar spine between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, thus severing the intestine at the duodenum. Newbarr's report noted "very little" ecchymosis (bruising) along the incision line, suggesting it had been performed after death. Another "gaping laceration" measuring in length ran longitudinally from the umbilicus to the suprapubic region. The lacerations on each side of the face, which extended from the corners of the lips, were measured at on the right side of the face, and on the left. The skull was not fractured, but there was bruising noted on the front and right side of her scalp, with a small amount of bleeding in the subarachnoid space on the right side, consistent with blows to the head. The cause of death was determined to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and the shock from blows to the head and face. Newbarr noted that Short's anal canal was dilated at , suggesting that she might have been raped. Samples were taken from her body testing for the presence of sperm, but the results came back negative.
Short was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI via Soundphoto, a device which transmitted images by telephone and was normally used for news photographs; Short's fingerprints were on file from her 1943 arrest. Immediately following Short's identification, reporters from William Randolph Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner contacted her mother, Phoebe Short, in Boston, and told her that her daughter had won a beauty contest. It was only after prying as much personal information as they could from Phoebe that the reporters revealed that her daughter had in fact been murdered. The newspaper offered to pay her airfare and accommodations if she would travel to Los Angeles to help with the police investigation. That was yet another ploy since the newspaper kept her away from police and other reporters to protect its scoop. The Examiner and another Hearst newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald-Express, later sensationalized the case, with one article from the Examiner describing the black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing as "a tight skirt and a sheer blouse". The media nicknamed her the "Black Dahlia" and described her as an "adventuress" who "prowled Hollywood Boulevard". Additional newspaper reports, such as one published in the Los Angeles Times on January 17, deemed the murder a "sex fiend slaying".
Investigation
Initial investigation
Letters and interviews
On January 21, 1947, a person claiming to be Short's killer placed a phone call to the office of James Richardson, the editor of the Examiner, congratulating Richardson on the newspaper's coverage of the case, and stated he planned on eventually turning himself in, but not before allowing police to pursue him further. Additionally, the caller told Richardson to "expect some souvenirs of Beth Short in the mail".
On January 24, a suspicious manila envelope was discovered by a U.S. Postal Service worker: The envelope had been addressed to "The Los Angeles Examiner and other Los Angeles papers" with individual words that had been cut-and-pasted from newspaper clippings; additionally, a large message on the face of the envelope read: "Here is Dahlia's belongings [,] letter to follow". The envelope contained Short's birth certificate, business cards, photographs, names written on pieces of paper, and an address book with the name Mark Hansen embossed on the cover. The packet had been carefully cleaned with gasoline, similarly to Short's body, which led police to suspect the packet had been sent directly by her killer. Despite the efforts to clean the packet, several partial fingerprints were lifted from the envelope and sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for testing; however, the prints were compromised in transit and thus could not be properly analyzed. The same day the packet was received by the Examiner, a handbag and a black suede shoe were reported to have been seen on top of a garbage can in an alley a short distance from Norton Avenue, from where Short's body had been discovered. The items were recovered by police, but they had also been wiped clean with gasoline, destroying any fingerprints.
On March 14, an apparent suicide note scrawled in pencil on a bit of paper was found tucked in a shoe in a pile of men's clothing by the ocean's edge at the foot of Breeze Ave., Venice. The note read: "To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn't help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary." The pile of clothing was first seen by a beach caretaker, who reported the discovery to John Dillon, lifeguard captain. Dillon immediately notified Capt. L. E. Christensen of West Los Angeles Police Station. The clothes included a coat and trousers of blue herringbone tweed, a brown and white T shirt, white jockey shorts, tan socks and tan moccasin leisure shoes, size about eight. The clothes gave no clue about the identity of their owner.
Police quickly deemed Mark Hansen, the owner of the address book found in the packet, a suspect. Hansen was a wealthy local nightclub and theater owner and an acquaintance at whose home Short had stayed with friends, and according to some sources, he also confirmed that the purse and shoe discovered in the alley were in fact Short's. Ann Toth, Short's friend and roommate, told investigators that Short had recently rejected sexual advances from Hansen, and suggested it as potential cause for him to kill her; however, he was cleared of suspicion in the case. In addition to Hansen, the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed over 150 men in the ensuing weeks whom they believed to be potential suspects. Manley, who had been one of the last people to see Short alive, was also investigated, but was cleared of suspicion after passing numerous polygraph examinations. Police also interviewed several persons found listed in Hansen's address book, including Martin Lewis, who had been an acquaintance of Short's. Lewis was able to provide an alibi for the date of Short's murder, as he was in Portland, Oregon, visiting his father-in-law, who was dying of kidney failure.
A total of 750 investigators from the LAPD and other departments worked on the case during its initial stages, including 400 sheriff's deputies and 250 California State Patrol officers. Various locations were searched for potential evidence, including storm drains throughout Los Angeles, abandoned structures, and various sites along the Los Angeles River, but the searches yielded no further evidence. City councilman Lloyd G. Davis posted a reward for information leading police to Short's killer. After the announcement of the reward, various persons came forward with confessions, most of which police dismissed as false. Several of the false confessors were charged with obstruction of justice.
Media response; decline
On January 26, another letter was received by the Examiner, this time handwritten, which read: "Here it is. Turning in Wed., Jan. 29, 10 am. Had my fun at police. Black Dahlia Avenger". The letter also named a location at which the supposed killer would turn himself in. Police waited at the location on the morning of January 29, but the alleged killer did not appear. Instead, at 1:00pm, the Examiner offices received another cut-and-pasted letter, which read: "Have changed my mind. You would not give me a square deal. Dahlia killing was justified."
The graphic nature of the crime and the subsequent letters received by the Examiner had resulted in a media frenzy surrounding Short's murder. Both local and national publications covered the story heavily, many of which reprinted sensationalistic reports suggesting that Short had been tortured for hours prior to her death; the information, however, was false, yet police allowed the reports to circulate so as to conceal Short's true cause of death—cerebral hemorrhage—from the public. Further reports about Short's personal life were publicized, including details about her alleged declining of Hansen's romantic advances; additionally, a stripper who was an acquaintance of Short's told police that she "liked to get guys worked up over her, but she'd leave them hanging dry." This led some reporters (namely the Herald-Expresss Bevo Means) and detectives to look into the possibility that Short was a lesbian, and begin questioning employees and patrons of gay bars in Los Angeles; this claim, however, remained unsubstantiated. The Herald-Express also received several letters from the purported killer, again made with cut-and-pasted clippings, one of which read: "I will give up on Dahlia killing if I get 10 years. Don't try to find me."
On February 1, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the case had "run into a Stone Wall", with no new leads for investigators to pursue. The Examiner continued to run stories on the murder and the investigation, which was front-page news for 35 days following the discovery of the body.
When interviewed, lead investigator Captain Jack Donahue told the press that he believed Short's murder had taken place in a remote building or shack on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and her body transported into the city where it was disposed of. Based on the precise cuts and dissection of Short's corpse, the LAPD looked into the possibility that the murderer had been a surgeon, doctor, or someone with medical knowledge. In mid-February 1947, the LAPD served a warrant to the University of Southern California Medical School, which was located near the site where Short's body had been discovered, requesting a complete list of the program's students. The university agreed so long as the students' identities remained private. Background checks were conducted, but yielded no results.
Grand jury and aftermath
By the spring of 1947, Short's murder had become a cold case with few new leads. Sergeant Finis Brown, one of the lead detectives on the case, blamed the press for compromising the investigation through reporters' probing of details and unverified reporting. In September 1949, a grand jury convened to discuss inadequacies in the LAPD's homicide unit based on their failure to solve numerous murders—especially those of women and children—in the past several years, Short's being one of them. In the aftermath of the grand jury, further investigation was done on Short's past, with detectives tracing her movements between Massachusetts, California, and Florida, and also interviewed people who knew her in Texas and New Orleans. However, the interviews yielded no useful information in the murder.
Suspects and confessions
The notoriety of Short's murder has spurred a large number of confessions over the years, many of which have been deemed false. During the initial investigation into her murder, police received a total of 60 confessions, most made by men. Since that time, over 500 people have confessed to the crime, some of whom had not even been born at the time of her death. Sergeant John P. St. John, a detective who worked the case until his retirement, stated, "It is amazing how many people offer up a relative as the killer."
In 2003, Ralph Asdel, one of the original detectives on the case, told the Times that he believed he had interviewed Short's killer, a man who had been seen with his sedan parked near the vacant lot where her body was discovered in the early morning hours of January 15, 1947. A neighbor driving by that day stopped to dispose of a bag of lawn clippings in the vacant lot when he saw a parked sedan, allegedly with its right rear door open; the driver of the sedan was standing in the lot. His arrival apparently startled the owner of the sedan, who approached his car and peered in the window before returning to the sedan and driving away. The owner of the sedan was followed to a local restaurant where he worked, but was ultimately cleared of suspicion.
Suspects remaining under discussion by various authors and experts include a doctor named Walter Bayley, proposed by the former Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch; Times publisher Norman Chandler, whom biographer Donald Wolfe claims impregnated Short; Leslie Dillon, Joseph A. Dumais, Artie Lane (a.k.a. Jeff Connors), Mark Hansen, Dr. Francis E. Sweeney, Woody Guthrie, Bugsy Siegel, Orson Welles, George Hodel, Hodel's friend Fred Sexton, George Knowlton, Robert M. "Red" Manley, Patrick S. O'Reilly, and Jack Anderson Wilson.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was a suspect; like the others, he was never formally charged with the crime. He came to wider attention as a suspect after his death when he was accused by his son, Los Angeles homicide detective Steve Hodel, of killing Short and committing several additional murders. Prior to the Dahlia case, he was also a suspect in the death of his secretary, Ruth Spaulding, but was not charged; and was accused of raping his own daughter, Tamar, but acquitted. He fled the country several times, and spent 1950 to 1990 in the Philippines.
Theories and potentially related crimes
Several crime authors, as well as Cleveland detective Peter Merylo, have suspected a link between the Short murder and the Cleveland Torso Murders, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1934 and 1938. As part of their investigation into other murders that took place before and after the Short killing, the original LAPD investigators studied the Torso Murders in 1947 but later discounted any relationship between the two cases. In 1980, new evidence implicating a former Torso Murder suspect, Jack Anderson Wilson (a.k.a. Arnold Smith), was investigated by Detective St. John in relation to Short's murder. He claimed he was close to arresting Wilson for Short's murder, but that Wilson died in a fire on February 4, 1982. The possible connection between Short's murder and the Torso Murders received renewed media attention when it was profiled on the NBC series Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, in which Eliot Ness biographer Oscar Fraley suggested Ness knew the identity of the killer responsible for both cases.
The February 10, 1947, murder of Jeanne French in Los Angeles was also considered by the media and detectives as possibly being connected to Short's killing. French's body was discovered in west Los Angeles on Grand View Boulevard, nude and badly beaten. Written on her stomach in lipstick was what appeared to say "Fuck You B.D.", and the letters "TEX" below. The Herald-Express covered the story heavily, and drew comparisons to the Short murder less than a month prior, surmising the initials "B.D." to stand for "Black Dahlia". According to historian Jon Lewis, however, the scrawling actually read "P.D.", ostensibly standing for "police department".
Crime authors such as Steve Hodel (son of George Hill Hodel) and William Rasmussen have suggested a link between the Short murder and the 1946 murder and dismemberment of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan in Chicago, Illinois. Captain Donahoe of the LAPD stated publicly that he believed the Black Dahlia and the Chicago Lipstick Murders were "likely connected". Among the evidence cited is the fact that Short's body was found on Norton Avenue, three blocks west of Degnan Boulevard, Degnan being the last name of the girl from Chicago. There were also striking similarities between the handwriting on the Degnan ransom note and that of the "Black Dahlia Avenger". Both texts used a combination of capitals and small letters (the Degnan note read in part "BuRN This FoR heR SAfTY" ), and both notes contain a similar misshapen letter P and have one word that matches exactly. Convicted serial killer William Heirens served life in prison for Degnan's murder. Initially arrested at 17 for breaking into a residence close to that of Degnan, Heirens claimed he was tortured by police, forced to confess, and made a scapegoat for the murder. After being taken from the medical infirmary at the Dixon Correctional Center on February 26, 2012, for health problems, Heirens died at the University of Illinois Medical Center on March 5, 2012, at 83.
Additionally, Steve Hodel has implicated his father, George Hodel, as Short's killer, citing his father's training as a surgeon as circumstantial evidence. In 2003, it was revealed in notes from the 1949 grand jury report that investigators had wiretapped Hodel's home, and obtained recorded conversation of him with an unidentified visitor, saying: "Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to my secretary because she's dead. They thought there was something fishy. Anyway, now they may have figured it out. Killed her. Maybe I did kill my secretary."
In 1991, Janice Knowlton, a woman who was ten years old at the time of Short's murder, claimed that she witnessed her father, George Knowlton, beat Short to death with a clawhammer in the detached garage of her family's home in Westminster. She also published a book titled Daddy was the Black Dahlia Killer in 1995, in which she made additional claims that her father sexually molested her. The book was condemned as "trash" by Knowlton's stepsister Jolane Emerson in 2004, who stated: "She believed it, but it wasn't reality. I know, because I lived with her father for sixteen years." Additionally, Detective St. John told the Times that Knowlton's claims were "not consistent with the facts of the case".
John Gilmore's 1994 book Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, suggests a possible connection between Short's murder and that of Georgette Bauerdorf, a socialite who was strangled to death in her West Hollywood home in 1944. Gilmore suggests that Short's employment at the Hollywood Canteen, where Bauerdorf also worked as a hostess, could be a potential connection between the two women. However, the claim that Short ever worked at the Hollywood Canteen has been disputed by others, such as the retired Times copyeditor Larry Harnisch (see Rumors and factual disputes).
The 2017 book Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell focuses on Leslie Dillon, a bellhop who was a former mortician's assistant; his associates Mark Hansen and Jeff Connors; and Sergeant Finis Brown, a lead detective who had links to Hansen and was allegedly corrupt. Eatwell posits that Short was murdered because she knew too much about the men's involvement in a scheme for robbing hotels. She further suggests that Short was killed at the Aster Motel in Los Angeles, where the owners reported finding one of their rooms "covered in blood and fecal matter" on the morning Short's body was found. The Examiner stated in 1949 that LA Police Chief William A. Worton denied that the Flower Street [Aster] Motel had anything to do with the case, although its rival newspaper, the Los Angeles Herald, claimed that the murder took place there. Eatwell is working on a television documentary, and a revised edition of her book is due to be released in the autumn of 2018.
In 2000, Buz Williams, a retired detective with the Long Beach Police Department, wrote an article for the LBPD newsletter The Rap Sheet on Short's murder. Williams' father, Richard F. Williams, and his friend, Con Keller, were both members of LA's Gangster Squad investigating the case. Williams Sr believed that Dillon was the killer, and that when Dillon returned to his home state of Oklahoma, he was able to avoid extradition to California because his ex-wife Georgia Stevenson was second cousins with Governor Adlai Stevenson II of Illinois, who contacted the governor of Oklahoma on Dillon's behalf. Keller believed Hansen was the killer, as he had studied at a surgical school in Sweden and had thrown elaborate parties attended by prominent LAPD officials. Williams' article says that Dillon sued the LAPD for $3 million, but that the suit was dropped. Harnisch disputes this, claiming that Dillon was cleared by police after an exhaustive investigation, and that the District Attorney's files positively placed him in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch claims that there was no LAPD coverup, and that Dillon did in fact receive a financial settlement from the City of Los Angeles, but has not produced concrete evidence to prove this.
Rumors and factual disputes
Numerous details regarding Short's personal life and death have been points of public dispute. The eager involvement of both the public and press in solving her murder have been credited as factors that complicated the investigation significantly, resulting in a complex, sometimes inconsistent narrative of events. According to Anne Marie DiStefano of the Portland Tribune, many "unsubstantiated stories" have circulated about Short over the years: "She was a prostitute, she was frigid, she was pregnant, she was a lesbian. And somehow, instead of fading away over time, the legend of the Black Dahlia just keeps getting more convoluted." Harnisch has refuted several supposed rumors and popular conceptions about Short and her murder and also disputed the validity of Gilmore's book Severed, claiming the book is "25% mistakes, and 50% fiction". Harnisch also had examined the district attorney's files (he claimed that Steve Hodel has examined some of them pertaining to his father, along with Times columnist Steve Lopez) and contrary to Eatwell's claims, the files showed that Dillon was thoroughly investigated and was determined to have been in San Francisco when Short was killed. Harnisch speculated that Eatwell either did not find these files or she chose to ignore them.
Murder and state of the body
A number of people, none of whom knew Short, contacted police and the newspapers and claimed to have seen her during her so-called "missing week", between her January 9 disappearance and the discovery of her body, on January 15. Police and DA investigators ruled out each alleged sighting; in some cases, those interviewed were identifying other women whom they had mistaken for Short. Short's whereabouts in the days leading up to her murder and the discovery of her body are unknown.
After the discovery of Short's body, numerous Los Angeles newspapers printed headlines claiming she had been tortured leading up to her death. This was denied by law enforcement at the time, but they allowed the claims to circulate so as to keep Short's actual cause of death a secret from the public. Some sources, such as Oliver Cyriax's Crime: An Encyclopedia (1993), state that Short's body was covered in cigarette burns inflicted on her while she was still alive, though there is no indication of this in her official autopsy report.
In Severed, Gilmore states that the coroner who performed Short's autopsy suggested in conversation that she had been forced to consume feces based on his findings when examining the contents of her stomach. This claim has been denied by Harnisch and is also not indicated in Short's official autopsy, though it has been reprinted in several print and online media.
Nickname
According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname "Black Dahlia" from staff and patrons at a Long Beach drugstore in mid-1946 as wordplay on the film The Blue Dahlia (1946). Other popularly-circulated rumors claim that the media crafted the name due to Short's adorning her hair with dahlias. According to the FBI official website, she received the first part of the nickname from the press "for her rumored penchant for sheer black clothes".
However, reports by DA investigators state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering her murder; Herald-Express reporter Bevo Means, who interviewed Short's acquaintances at the drugstore, has been credited with first using the "Black Dahlia" name, though reporters Underwood and Jack Smith have been alternatively named as its creators. While some sources claim that Short was referred to or went by the name during her life, others dispute this. Both Gilmore and Harnisch agree that the name originated during Short's lifetime and was not a creation of the press: Harnisch states that it was in fact a nickname she earned from the staff of the Long Beach drugstore she frequented; in Severed, Gilmore names an A.L. Landers as the proprietor of the drugstore, though he does not provide the store's name. Prior to the circulation of the "Black Dahlia" name, Short's killing had been dubbed the "Werewolf Murder" by the Herald-Express due to the brutal nature of the crime.
Alleged prostitution and sexual history
Many true crime books claim that Short lived in or visited Los Angeles at various times in the mid-1940s, including Gilmore's Severed, which claims she worked at the Hollywood Canteen. This is disputed by Harnisch, who states that Short did not, in fact, live in Los Angeles until after the canteen's closing in 1945. Although some of her acquaintances and several authors and journalists described Short as a prostitute or call girl during her time in Los Angeles, according to Harnisch, the contemporaneous grand jury proved that there was no existing evidence that she was ever a prostitute. Harnisch claims that the rumor regarding Short's history as a prostitute originates from John Gregory Dunne's 1977 novel True Confessions, which is based in part on the crime.
Another widely circulated rumor (sometimes used to counter claims that Short was a prostitute) holds that Short was unable to have sexual intercourse because of a congenital defect that resulted in gonadal dysgenesis, also known as "infantile genitalia". Los Angeles County district attorney's files state that the investigators had questioned three men with whom Short had engaged in sex, including a Chicago police officer who was a suspect in the case; FBI files on the case also contain a statement from one of Short's alleged lovers. Short's autopsy itself, which was reprinted in full in Michael Newton's 2009 book The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, notes that her uterus was "small"; however, no other information in the autopsy is provided that would suggest her reproductive organs were anything other than anatomically normal. The autopsy also states that Short was not and had never been pregnant, contrary to what had been claimed prior to and following her death.
Another rumor—that Short was a lesbian—has often circulated; according to Gilmore, this rumor began after Bevo Means of the Herald-Express was told by the deputy coroner that Short "wasn't having sex with men" due to her purportedly "small" genitalia. Means took this to mean that Short had sex with women, and both he and reporter Sid Hughes began fruitlessly investigating gay bars in Los Angeles for further information.
Legacy
Short is interred at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. After her younger sisters had grown up and married, their mother, Phoebe, moved to Oakland to be near her daughter's grave. She finally returned to the East Coast in the 1970s, where she lived into her 90s. On February 2, 1947, just two weeks after Short's murder, Republican state assemblyman C. Don Field was prompted by the case to introduce a bill calling for the formation of a sex offender registry; the state of California would become the first U.S. state to make the registration of sex offenders mandatory.
Short's murder has been described as one of the most brutal and culturally enduring crimes in American history, and Time magazine listed it as one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the world.
Short's life and death have been the basis of numerous books, television shows, and films, both fictionalized and non-fiction. Among the most famous fictional accounts of Short's death is James Ellroy's 1987 novel The Black Dahlia, which, in addition to the murder, explored "the larger fields of politics, crime, corruption, and paranoia in post-war Los Angeles", according to cultural critic David M. Fine. Ellroy's novel was adapted into a 2006 film of the same name by director Brian De Palma: Short was played by actress Mia Kirshner. Both Ellroy's novel and its film adaptation bear little relation to the facts of the case.
Short was also portrayed in heavily fictionalized accounts by Lucie Arnaz in the 1975 television film Who Is the Black Dahlia?, by Jessica Nelson in Season Four, Episode 13 of Hunter, and by Mena Suvari in the series American Horror Story in 2011, featuring Short in the plot line of the episode "Spooky Little Girl", and again in 2018 with "Return to Murder House".
See also
Agness Underwood
Crime in Los Angeles
Ernest E. Debs
List of unsolved murders
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links
The Black Dahlia – FBI
The Black Dahlia case files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Freedom of Information Act site
Somebody Knows episode, a 1950 radio program on the case
1924 births
1947 deaths
1947 murders in the United States
1947 in Los Angeles
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
American murder victims
American women civilians in World War II
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)
Crimes in Los Angeles
Deaths by beating in the United States
Deaths from bleeding
Female murder victims
Hollywood history and culture
People from Hyde Park, Boston
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People murdered in Los Angeles
Restaurant staff
Retail clerks
Unsolved murders in the United States
Vandenberg Space Force Base | false | [
"Marian Otis Chandler (July 1, 1866 – August 9, 1952) was the secretary and a director of the Times-Mirror Company, which published the Los Angeles Times.\n\nBiography\nShe was born as Emma Marian Otis July 1, 1866, in Marietta, Ohio, to Harrison Gray Otis (publisher) and Eliza Ann Wetherby. Marian had three sisters, Mabel, Lilian, and Esther (who died in infancy),{} and a brother, Harrison Gray (who died in infancy).{}\n\nIn 1894, Marian married Harry Chandler, who later became publisher of the Los Angeles Times. Marian and Harry raised eight children together, Francesca (born April 7, 1890) and Alice May (July 24, 1892), from Harry's first marriage, and six of their own: Constance (born March 19, 1896), Ruth (October 15, 1897), Norman (September 14, 1899), Harrison Gray Otis (February 12, 1904) and the twins, Helen and Philip (born February 17, 1907). Norman Chandler (1899–1973), became publisher of the Times after his father's death.\n\nAfter the death of her husband in 1944, Mrs. Chandler resigned as secretary; a month later she was elected chairman of the Times-Mirror board. She also was vice president of the Chandis Securities Company and vice-president of the Southwest Land Company and the Southwest Company. She was known for her numerous philanthropies.\n\nShe died on August 9, 1952 at her home in the Los Feliz foothills, Los Angeles, California., owned many years later by Father Yod. She was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. She left seven children — Mrs. Roger Goodan (Alice May), Mrs. Earle E. Crowe (Constance), Mrs. John J. Garland (Helen), Mrs. James G. Boswell (Ruth), Norman Chandler. Philip Chandler and Harrison Chandler, as well as a sister, Mabel Otis Booth.\n\nLegacy\n The community of Reseda, California, was originally named Marian, after Mrs. Chandler.\n A freighter ship built in 1917 (originally named War Flame but known as Empire Leopard when torpedoed and sunk November 2, 1942, by the German submarine U-402) was bought in 1929 by the Los Angeles Steamship Company and renamed Marian Otis Chandler, holding that name until it was sold again in 1939.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nMrs. Chandler's page at findagrave.com\n\n1866 births\n1952 deaths\nHistory of Los Angeles\nLos Angeles Times people\nOtis family\nPeople from San Marino, California\nChandler family (newspaper publishers)\nPeople from Marietta, Ohio\nBurials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery",
"Roy F. Chandler (December 17, 1925 - December 24, 2015) was the author of more than sixty published books and many magazine articles. He is known for his series of sniper related books, including the series \"Death From Afar\".\n\nBiography\nChandler was a United States Army veteran with more than twenty years of active service including World War II and Korea. Later he was a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania and Alaska. His writing is often based on personal experience. He was a full-time author for more than thirty years. Chandler died of cancer on December 24, 2015.\n\nBibliography\n\nPerry County, Pennsylvania, series \nLimited edition copies, where known.\nHistory of Early Perry County Guns and Gunsmiths, 1969\t\nA History of Perry County Railroads, 1970\t\nTales of Perry County, 1973\t\nA History of Hunting in Perry County, 1974\t\nArrowmaker, 1974\t\nAntiques of Perry County, 1976\t\nThe Black Rifle, 1976\t\nHomes, Barns and Outbuildings of Perry County, 1978\t\nShatto, 1979\t\nThe Perry County Flavor, 1980\t\nThe Didactor, 1981 (900)\nFort Robinson: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, the years 1750-63, 1981 (800)\nFriend Seeker: A novel of Perry County PA, 1982 (900)\nPerry County in Pen & Ink, 1983\t\nShatto's way: A novel of Perry County, Pa, 1984 (1000)\nChip Shatto: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, the years 1863-65, 1984\t\nFirefighters of Perry County, 1982\t\nPerry County Sketchbook, 1986\t\nThe Warrior, A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, 1995 (1500)\nThe Perry Countian, 1987\t\nHawk's Feather - An Adventure Story, 1988\t\nTed's Story, 1988 (1000)\nCronies, 1989\t\nSong of Blue Moccasin, 1989\t\nThe Sweet Taste, 1990\t(1000)\nTiff's Game: A work of fiction, 1991\t\nOld Dog, 1993\t\nTim Murphy, Rifleman: A novel of Perry County, Pa, 1754-1840, 1993\t\nRamsey: A novel of Perry County Pennsylvania, 1994\t\nLast Black Book, 1995\nIronhawk, 1999\n\nThe Gun of Joseph Smith series (young adult) \nThe Gun of Joseph Smith', (with Katherine R. Chandler), 1987\tTuck Morgan, Plainsman (Vol. 2) (with Katherine R. Chandler), 1991\tMorgan's Park (Vol. 3) (with Katherine R. Chandler), 1997\n\n Death From Afar series \t\t\tDeath From Afar I (and Norman A. Chandler), 1992\tDeath From Afar II: Marine Corps Sniping (and Norman A. Chandler), 1993\tDeath From Afar Vol. III: The Black Book (and Norman A. Chandler), 1994\tDeath From Afar IV (and Norman A. Chandler), 1996\tDeath From Afar V (and Norman A. Chandler), 1998\n\n Other fiction Chugger's Hunt, 1990Gray's Talent, 1995Dark shadow, 1996Sniper One (Iron Brigade series), 2000\tShooter Galloway', 2004The Boss's Boy, 2007Pardners, 2008The Saga of Hawk's Revenge, 2010\n\n Other non-fiction \n( )Limited edition copies, where known.Alaskan hunter: a book about big game hunting, 1972Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes and Barrel Marks, 1972 (400)Arms Makers of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1981 (1000)Gunsmiths of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1982\tPennsylvania Gunmakers (a collection), 1984A 30', $6,000 Cruising Catamaran, 1987Alcatraz: The Hard Years 1934-1938, (with Erville F. Chandler), 1989Kentucky Rifle Patchboxes All New Volume 2, 1992\tBehold the Long Rifle, 1993\tThe Kentucky Pistol, 1994 (1800)Choose the Right Gun, 1994 (2000)Hunting Alaska, 1995The Hunter's Alaska, 2005White Feather: Carlos Hathcock USMC scout sniper (and Norman A. Chandler), 1997One Shot Brotherhood (and Norman A. Chandler), 2001\n\n Children’s books All About a Foot Soldier, 1965\tOog The Baker, 2006\n\n Perry County frontier series reading order according to The Last Black Book \n Friend Seeker The Warrior (1721-1764) Arrowmaker The Black Rifle Fort Robinson (1750–63) Ironhawk Song of Blue Moccasin Tim Murphy, Rifleman (1754-1840) Hawk's Feather Shatto Chip Shatto (1863–65) Ted's Story Tiff's Game Cronies The Didactor The Perry Countian The Sweet Taste Old Dog Ramsey Shatto's Way''\n\nFootnotes\n\n1925 births\nAmerican male writers\n2015 deaths\nPennsylvania State University alumni"
]
|
[
"Stanley Kubrick",
"Cinematography"
]
| C_2159876f29b345e591d56c849ac47967_0 | What movie did Stanley do its cinematography? | 1 | What movie did Stanley Kubrick do the cinematography for? | Stanley Kubrick | Kubrick credited the ease with which he photographed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius". Among Kubrick's notable innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible. Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history. His films, almost all of which are adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their realism, dark humor, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music.
Kubrick was raised in the Bronx, New York City, and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. He received average grades, but displayed a keen interest in literature, photography, and film from a young age, and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he began making short films on shoestring budgets, and made his first major Hollywood film, The Killing, for United Artists in 1956. This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas: the war picture Paths of Glory (1957) and the historical epic Spartacus (1960).
Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios, a dislike of the Hollywood industry, and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he spent most of his remaining life and career. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which he shared with his wife Christiane, became his workplace, where he did his writing, research, editing, and management of production details. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios. His first productions in Britain were two films with Peter Sellers: Lolita (1962), an adaptation of the Vladimir Nabokov novel, and the Cold War black comedy Dr. Strangelove (1964).
A demanding perfectionist, Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process, from direction and writing to editing, and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes, working in close coordination with his actors, crew, and other collaborators. He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same shot in a movie, which resulted in many conflicts with his casts. Despite the resulting notoriety among actors, many of Kubrick's films broke new ground in cinematography. The scientific realism and innovative special effects of the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) were without precedent in the history of cinema, and the film earned him his only personal Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation's "big bang"; it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
While many of Kubrick's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release—particularly the brutal A Clockwork Orange (1971), which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy—most were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, and underwent critical reevaluations. For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon (1975), Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA, to film scenes under natural candlelight. With the horror film The Shining (1980), he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots, a technology vital to his Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket (1987). His last film, Eyes Wide Shut, was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70.
Early life
Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928, in the Lying-In Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family. He was the first of two children of Jacob Leonard Kubrick (May 21, 1902 – October 19, 1985), known as Jack or Jacques, and his wife Sadie Gertrude Kubrick ( Perveler; October 28, 1903 – April 23, 1985), known as Gert. His sister Barbara Mary Kubrick was born in May 1934. Jack Kubrick, whose parents and paternal grandparents were of Polish-Jewish, Austrian-Jewish, and Romanian-Jewish origin, was a homeopathic doctor, graduating from the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1927, the same year he married Kubrick's mother, the child of Austrian-Jewish immigrants. Kubrick's great-grandfather, Hersh Kubrick, arrived at Ellis Island via Liverpool by ship on December 27, 1899, at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife and two grown children, one of whom was Stanley's grandfather Elias, to start a new life with a younger woman. Elias Kubrick followed in 1902. At Stanley's birth the Kubricks lived in the Bronx. His parents married in a Jewish ceremony, but Kubrick did not have a religious upbringing and later professed an atheistic view of the universe. His father was a physician and, by the standards of the West Bronx, the family was fairly wealthy.
Soon after his sister's birth, Kubrick began schooling in Public School 3 in the Bronx and moved to Public School 90 in June 1938. His IQ was discovered to be above average but his attendance was poor. He displayed an interest in literature from a young age and began reading Greek and Roman myths and the fables of the Grimm brothers, which "instilled in him a lifelong affinity with Europe". He spent most Saturdays during the summer watching the New York Yankees and later photographed two boys watching the game in an assignment for Look magazine to emulate his own childhood excitement with baseball. When Kubrick was 12, his father Jack taught him chess. The game remained a lifelong interest of Kubrick's, appearing in many of his films. Kubrick, who later became a member of the United States Chess Federation, explained that chess helped him develop "patience and discipline" in making decisions. Aged 13, Kubrick's father bought him a Graflex camera, triggering a fascination with still photography. He befriended a neighbor, Marvin Traub, who shared his passion for photography. Traub had his own darkroom where he and the young Kubrick would spend many hours perusing photographs and watching the chemicals "magically make images on photographic paper". The two indulged in numerous photographic projects for which they roamed the streets looking for interesting subjects to capture and spent time in local cinemas studying films. Freelance photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig) had a considerable influence on Kubrick's development as a photographer; Kubrick later hired Fellig as the special stills photographer for Dr. Strangelove (1964). As a teenager, Kubrick was also interested in jazz and briefly attempted a career as a drummer.
Kubrick attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. Though he joined the school's photography club, which permitted him to photograph the school's events in their magazine, he was a mediocre student, with a 67/D+ grade average. Introverted and shy, Kubrick had a low attendance record and often skipped school to watch double-feature films. He graduated in 1945 but his poor grades, combined with the demand for college admissions from soldiers returning from the Second World War, eliminated any hope of higher education. Later in life Kubrick spoke disdainfully of his education and of American schooling as a whole, maintaining that schools were ineffective in stimulating critical thinking and student interest. His father was disappointed in his son's failure to achieve the excellence in school of which he knew Stanley was fully capable. Jack also encouraged Stanley to read from the family library at home, while permitting Stanley to take up photography as a serious hobby.
Photographic career
While in high school, Kubrick was chosen as an official school photographer. In the mid-1940s, since he was unable to gain admission to day session classes at colleges, he briefly attended evening classes at the City College of New York. Eventually, he sold a photographic series to Look magazine, which was printed on June 26, 1945. Kubrick supplemented his income by playing chess "for quarters" in Washington Square Park and various Manhattan chess clubs.
In 1946, he became an apprentice photographer for Look and later a full-time staff photographer. G. Warren Schloat, Jr., another new photographer for the magazine at the time, recalled that he thought Kubrick lacked the personality to make it as a director in Hollywood, remarking, "Stanley was a quiet fellow. He didn't say much. He was thin, skinny, and kind of poor—like we all were." Kubrick quickly became known for his story-telling in photographs. His first, published on April 16, 1946, was entitled "A Short Story from a Movie Balcony" and staged a fracas between a man and a woman, during which the man is slapped in the face, caught genuinely by surprise. In another assignment, 18 pictures were taken of various people waiting in a dental office. It has been said retrospectively that this project demonstrated an early interest of Kubrick in capturing individuals and their feelings in mundane environments. In 1948, he was sent to Portugal to document a travel piece, and covered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida.
A boxing enthusiast, Kubrick eventually began photographing boxing matches for the magazine. His earliest, "Prizefighter", was published on January 18, 1949, and captured a boxing match and the events leading up to it, featuring Walter Cartier. On April 2, 1949, he published photo essay "Chicago-City of Extremes" in Look, which displayed his talent early on for creating atmosphere with imagery. The following year, in July 1950, the magazine published his photo essay, "Working Debutante – Betsy von Furstenberg", which featured a Pablo Picasso portrait of Angel F. de Soto in the background. Kubrick was also assigned to photograph numerous jazz musicians, from Frank Sinatra and Erroll Garner to George Lewis, Eddie Condon, Phil Napoleon, Papa Celestin, Alphonse Picou, Muggsy Spanier, Sharkey Bonano, and others.
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz on May 28, 1948. They lived together in a small apartment at 36 West 16th Street, off Sixth Avenue just north of Greenwich Village. During this time, Kubrick began frequenting film screenings at the Museum of Modern Art and New York City cinemas. He was inspired by the complex, fluid camerawork of director Max Ophüls, whose films influenced Kubrick's visual style, and by the director Elia Kazan, whom he described as America's "best director" at that time, with his ability of "performing miracles" with his actors. Friends began to notice Kubrick had become obsessed with the art of filmmaking—one friend, David Vaughan, observed that Kubrick would scrutinize the film at the cinema when it went silent, and would go back to reading his paper when people started talking. He spent many hours reading books on film theory and writing notes. He was particularly inspired by Sergei Eisenstein and Arthur Rothstein, the photographic technical director of Look magazine.
Film career
Short films (1951–1953)
Kubrick shared a love of film with his school friend Alexander Singer, who after graduating from high school had the intention of directing a film version of Homer's Iliad. Through Singer, who worked in the offices of the newsreel production company, The March of Time, Kubrick learned it could cost $40,000 to make a proper short film, money he could not afford. He had $1500 in savings and produced a few short documentaries fueled by encouragement from Singer. He began learning all he could about filmmaking on his own, calling film suppliers, laboratories, and equipment rental houses.
Kubrick decided to make a short film documentary about boxer Walter Cartier, whom he had photographed and written about for Look magazine a year earlier. He rented a camera and produced a 16-minute black-and-white documentary, Day of the Fight. Kubrick found the money independently to finance it. He had considered asking Montgomery Clift to narrate it, whom he had met during a photographic session for Look, but settled on CBS news veteran Douglas Edwards. According to Paul Duncan the film was "remarkably accomplished for a first film", and used a backward tracking shot to film a scene in which Cartier and his brother walk towards the camera, a device which later became one of Kubrick's characteristic camera movements. Vincent Cartier, Walter's brother and manager, later reflected on his observations of Kubrick during the filming. He said, "Stanley was a very stoic, impassive but imaginative type person with strong, imaginative thoughts. He commanded respect in a quiet, shy way. Whatever he wanted, you complied, he just captivated you. Anybody who worked with Stanley did just what Stanley wanted". After a score was added by Singer's friend Gerald Fried, Kubrick had spent $3900 in making it, and sold it to RKO-Pathé for $4000, which was the most the company had ever paid for a short film at the time. Kubrick described his first effort at filmmaking as having been valuable since he believed himself to have been forced to do most of the work, and he later declared that the "best education in film is to make one".
Inspired by this early success, Kubrick quit his job at Look and visited professional filmmakers in New York City, asking many detailed questions about the technical aspects of filmmaking. He stated that he was given the confidence during this period to become a filmmaker because of the number of bad films he had seen, remarking, "I don't know a goddamn thing about movies, but I know I can make a better film than that". He began making Flying Padre (1951), a film which documents Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, who travels some 4,000 miles to visit his 11 churches. The film was originally going to be called "Sky Pilot", a pun on the slang term for a priest. During the course of the film, the priest performs a burial service, confronts a boy bullying a girl, and makes an emergency flight to aid a sick mother and baby into an ambulance. Several of the views from and of the plane in Flying Padre are later echoed in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) with the footage of the spacecraft, and a series of close-ups on the faces of people attending the funeral were most likely inspired by Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) and Ivan the Terrible (1944/1958).
Flying Padre was followed by The Seafarers (1953), Kubrick's first color film, which was shot for the Seafarers International Union in June 1953. It depicted the logistics of a democratic union and focused more on the amenities of seafaring other than the act. For the cafeteria scene in the film, Kubrick chose a dolly shot to establish the life of the seafarer's community; this kind of shot would later become a signature technique. The sequence of Paul Hall, secretary-treasurer of the SIU Atlantic and gulf district, speaking to members of the union echoes scenes from Eisenstein's Strike (1925) and October (1928). Day of the Fight, Flying Padre and The Seafarers constitute Kubrick's only surviving documentary works; some historians believe he made others.
Early feature work (1953–1955)
After raising $1000 showing his short films to friends and family, Kubrick found the finances to begin making his first feature film, Fear and Desire (1953), originally running with the title The Trap, written by his friend Howard Sackler. Kubrick's uncle, Martin Perveler, a Los Angeles pharmacy owner, invested a further $9000 on condition that he be credited as executive producer of the film. Kubrick assembled several actors and a small crew totaling 14 people (five actors, five crewmen, and four others to help transport the equipment) and flew to the San Gabriel Mountains in California for a five-week, low-budget shoot. Later renamed The Shape of Fear before finally being named Fear and Desire, it is a fictional allegory about a team of soldiers who survive a plane crash and are caught behind enemy lines in a war. During the course of the film, one of the soldiers becomes infatuated with an attractive girl in the woods and binds her to a tree. This scene is noted for its close-ups on the face of the actress. Kubrick had intended for Fear and Desire to be a silent picture in order to ensure low production costs; the added sounds, effects, and music ultimately brought production costs to around $53,000, exceeding the budget. He was bailed out by producer Richard de Rochemont on the condition that he help in de Rochemont's production of a five-part television series about Abraham Lincoln on location in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Fear and Desire was a commercial failure, but garnered several positive reviews upon release. Critics such as the reviewer from The New York Times believed that Kubrick's professionalism as a photographer shone through in the picture, and that he "artistically caught glimpses of the grotesque attitudes of death, the wolfishness of hungry men, as well as their bestiality, and in one scene, the wracking effect of lust on a pitifully juvenile soldier and the pinioned girl he is guarding". Columbia University scholar Mark Van Doren was highly impressed by the scenes with the girl bound to the tree, remarking that it would live on as a "beautiful, terrifying and weird" sequence which illustrated Kubrick's immense talent and guaranteed his future success. Kubrick himself later expressed embarrassment with Fear and Desire, and attempted over the years to keep prints of the film out of circulation. During the production of the film, Kubrick almost killed his cast with poisonous gasses by mistake.
Following Fear and Desire, Kubrick began working on ideas for a new boxing film. Due to the commercial failure of his first feature, Kubrick avoided asking for further investments, but commenced a film noir script with Howard O. Sackler. Originally under the title Kiss Me, Kill Me, and then The Nymph and the Maniac, Killer's Kiss (1955) is a 67-minute film noir about a young heavyweight boxer's involvement with a woman being abused by her criminal boss. Like Fear and Desire, it was privately funded by Kubrick's family and friends, with some $40,000 put forward from Bronx pharmacist Morris Bousse. Kubrick began shooting footage in Times Square, and frequently explored during the filming process, experimenting with cinematography and considering the use of unconventional angles and imagery. He initially chose to record the sound on location, but encountered difficulties with shadows from the microphone booms, restricting camera movement. His decision to drop the sound in favor of imagery was a costly one; after 12–14 weeks shooting the picture, he spent some seven months and $35,000 working on the sound.
Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) directly influenced the film with the painting laughing at a character, and Martin Scorsese has, in turn, cited Kubrick's innovative shooting angles and atmospheric shots in Killer's Kiss as an influence on Raging Bull (1980). Actress Irene Kane, the star of Killer's Kiss, observed: "Stanley's a fascinating character. He thinks movies should move, with a minimum of dialogue, and he's all for sex and sadism". Killer's Kiss met with limited commercial success and made very little money in comparison with its production budget of $75,000. Critics have praised the film's camerawork, but its acting and story are generally considered mediocre.
Hollywood success and beyond (1955–1962)
While playing chess in Washington Square, Kubrick met producer James B. Harris, who considered Kubrick "the most intelligent, most creative person I have ever come in contact with." The two formed the Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corporation in 1955. Harris purchased the rights to Lionel White's novel Clean Break for $10,000 and Kubrick wrote the script, but at Kubrick's suggestion, they hired film noir novelist Jim Thompson to write the dialog for the film—which became The Killing (1956)—about a meticulously planned racetrack robbery gone wrong. The film starred Sterling Hayden, who had impressed Kubrick with his performance in The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
Kubrick and Harris moved to Los Angeles and signed with the Jaffe Agency to shoot the picture, which became Kubrick's first full-length feature film shot with a professional cast and crew. The Union in Hollywood stated that Kubrick would not be permitted to be both the director and the cinematographer, resulting in the hiring of veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard. Kubrick agreed to waive his fee for the production, which was shot in 24 days on a budget of $330,000. He clashed with Ballard during the shooting, and on one occasion Kubrick threatened to fire Ballard following a camera dispute, despite being aged only 27 and 20 years Ballard's junior. Hayden recalled Kubrick was "cold and detached. Very mechanical, always confident. I've worked with few directors who are that good".
The Killing failed to secure a proper release across the United States; the film made little money, and was promoted only at the last minute, as a second feature to the Western movie Bandido! (1956). Several contemporary critics lauded the film, with a reviewer for Time comparing its camerawork to that of Orson Welles. Today, critics generally consider The Killing to be among the best films of Kubrick's early career; its nonlinear narrative and clinical execution also had a major influence on later directors of crime films, including Quentin Tarantino. Dore Schary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was highly impressed as well, and offered Kubrick and Harris $75,000 to write, direct, and produce a film, which ultimately became Paths of Glory (1957).
Paths of Glory, set during World War I, is based on Humphrey Cobb's 1935 antiwar novel. Schary was familiar with the novel, but stated that MGM would not finance another war picture, given their backing of the anti-war film The Red Badge of Courage (1951). After Schary was fired by MGM in a major shake-up, Kubrick and Harris managed to interest Kirk Douglas in playing Colonel Dax. Douglas, in turn, signed Harris-Kubrick Pictures to a three-picture co-production deal with his film production company, Bryna Productions, which secured a financing and distribution deal for Paths of Glory and two subsequent films with United Artists. The film, shot in Munich, from March 1957, follows a French army unit ordered on an impossible mission, and follows with a war trial of three soldiers, arbitrarily chosen, for misconduct. Dax is assigned to defend the men at Court Martial. For the battle scene, Kubrick meticulously lined up six cameras one after the other along the boundary of no-man's land, with each camera capturing a specific field and numbered, and gave each of the hundreds of extras a number for the zone in which they would die. Kubrick operated an Arriflex camera for the battle, zooming in on Douglas. Paths of Glory became Kubrick's first significant commercial success, and established him as an up-and-coming young filmmaker. Critics praised the film's unsentimental, spare, and unvarnished combat scenes and its raw, black-and-white cinematography. Despite the praise, the Christmas release date was criticized, and the subject was controversial in Europe. The film was banned in France until 1974 for its "unflattering" depiction of the French military, and was censored by the Swiss Army until 1970.
In October 1957, after Paths of Glory had its world premiere in Germany, Bryna Productions optioned Canadian church minister-turned-master-safecracker Herbert Emerson Wilsons's autobiography, I Stole $16,000,000, especially for Stanley Kubrick and James B. Harris. The picture was to be the second in the co-production deal between Bryna Productions and Harris-Kubrick Pictures, which Kubrick was to write and direct, Harris to co-produce and Douglas to co-produce and star. In November 1957, Gavin Lambert was signed as story editor for I Stole $16,000,000, and with Kubrick, finished a script titled God Fearing Man, but the picture was never filmed.
Marlon Brando contacted Kubrick, asking him to direct a film adaptation of the Charles Neider western novel, The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones, featuring Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Brando was impressed, saying "Stanley is unusually perceptive, and delicately attuned to people. He has an adroit intellect, and is a creative thinker—not a repeater, not a fact-gatherer. He digests what he learns and brings to a new project an original point of view and a reserved passion". The two worked on a script for six months, begun by a then unknown Sam Peckinpah. Many disputes broke out over the project, and in the end, Kubrick distanced himself from what would become One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
In February 1959, Kubrick received a phone call from Kirk Douglas asking him to direct Spartacus (1960), based on the historical Spartacus and the Third Servile War. Douglas had acquired the rights to the novel by Howard Fast and blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo began penning the script. It was produced by Douglas, who also starred as Spartacus, and cast Laurence Olivier as his foe, the Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus. Douglas hired Kubrick for a reported $150,000 fee to take over direction soon after he fired director Anthony Mann. Kubrick had, at 31, already directed four feature films, and this became his largest by far, with a cast of over 10,000 and a budget of $6 million. At the time, this was the most expensive film ever made in America, and Kubrick became the youngest director in Hollywood history to make an epic. It was the first time that Kubrick filmed using the anamorphic 35mm horizontal Super Technirama process to achieve ultra-high definition, which allowed him to capture large panoramic scenes, including one with 8,000 trained soldiers from Spain representing the Roman army.
Disputes broke out during the filming of Spartacus. Kubrick complained about not having full creative control over the artistic aspects, insisting on improvising extensively during the production. Kubrick and Douglas were also at odds over the script, with Kubrick angering Douglas when he cut all but two of his lines from the opening 30 minutes. Despite the on-set troubles, Spartacus took $14.6 million at the box office in its first run. The film established Kubrick as a major director, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning four; it ultimately convinced him that if so much could be made of such a problematic production, he could achieve anything. Spartacus also marked the end of the working relationship between Kubrick and Douglas.
Collaboration with Peter Sellers (1962–1964)
Lolita
Kubrick and Harris decided to film Kubrick's next movie Lolita (1962) in England, due to clauses placed on the contract by producers Warner Bros. that gave them complete control over the film, and the fact that the Eady plan permitted producers to write off the costs if 80% of the crew were British. Instead, they signed a $1 million deal with Eliot Hyman's Associated Artists Productions, and a clause which gave them the artistic freedom that they desired. Lolita, Kubrick's first attempt at black comedy, was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, the story of a middle-aged college professor becoming infatuated with a 12-year-old girl. Stylistically, Lolita, starring Peter Sellers, James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Sue Lyon, was a transitional film for Kubrick, "marking the turning point from a naturalistic cinema ... to the surrealism of the later films", according to film critic Gene Youngblood. Kubrick was impressed by the range of actor Peter Sellers and gave him one of his first opportunities to improvise wildly during shooting, while filming him with three cameras.
Kubrick shot Lolita over 88 days on a $2 million budget at Elstree Studios, between October 1960 and March 1961. Kubrick often clashed with Shelley Winters, whom he found "very difficult" and demanding, and nearly fired at one point. Because of its provocative story, Lolita was Kubrick's first film to generate controversy; he was ultimately forced to comply with censors and remove much of the erotic element of the relationship between Mason's Humbert and Lyon's Lolita which had been evident in Nabokov's novel. The film was not a major critical or commercial success, earning $3.7 million at the box office on its opening run. Lolita has since become critically acclaimed.
Dr. Strangelove
Kubrick's next project was Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), another satirical black comedy. Kubrick became preoccupied with the issue of nuclear war as the Cold War unfolded in the 1950s, and even considered moving to Australia because he feared that New York City might be a likely target for the Russians. He studied over 40 military and political research books on the subject and eventually reached the conclusion that "nobody really knew anything and the whole situation was absurd".
After buying the rights to the novel Red Alert, Kubrick collaborated with its author, Peter George, on the script. It was originally written as a serious political thriller, but Kubrick decided that a "serious treatment" of the subject would not be believable, and thought that some of its most salient points would be fodder for comedy. Kubrick's longtime producer-and-friend, James B. Harris, thought the film should be serious, and the two parted ways, amicably, over this disagreement—Harris going on to produce and direct the serious cold-war thriller The Bedford Incident. Kubrick and Red Alert author George then reworked the script as a satire (provisionally titled "The Delicate Balance of Terror") in which the plot of Red Alert was situated as a film-within-a-film made by an alien intelligence, but this idea was also abandoned, and Kubrick decided to make the film as "an outrageous black comedy".
Just before filming began, Kubrick hired noted journalist and satirical author Terry Southern to transform the script into its final form, a black comedy, loaded with sexual innuendo, becoming a film which showed Kubrick's talents as a "unique kind of absurdist" according to the film scholar Abrams. Southern made major contributions to the final script, and was co-credited (above Peter George) in the film's opening titles; his perceived role in the writing later led to a public rift between Kubrick and Peter George, who subsequently complained in a letter to Life magazine that Southern's intense but relatively brief (November 16 to December 28, 1962) involvement with the project was being given undue prominence in the media, while his own role as the author of the film's source novel, and his ten-month stint as the script's co-writer, were being downplayed – a perception Kubrick evidently did little to address.
Kubrick found that Dr. Strangelove, a $2 million production which employed what became the "first important visual effects crew in the world", would be impossible to make in the U.S. for various technical and political reasons, forcing him to move production to England. It was shot in 15 weeks, ending in April 1963, after which Kubrick spent eight months editing it. Peter Sellers again agreed to work with Kubrick, and ended up playing three different roles in the film.
Upon release, the film stirred up much controversy and mixed opinions. The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther worried that it was a "discredit and even contempt for our whole defense establishment ... the most shattering sick joke I've ever come across", while Robert Brustein of Out of This World in a February 1970 article called it a "juvenalian satire". Kubrick responded to the criticism, stating: "A satirist is someone who has a very skeptical view of human nature, but who still has the optimism to make some sort of a joke out of it. However brutal that joke might be". Today, the film is considered to be one of the sharpest comedy films ever made, and holds a near-perfect 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews . It was named the 39th-greatest American film and third-greatest American comedy film of all time by the American Film Institute, and in 2010, it was named the sixth-best comedy film of all time by The Guardian.
Ground-breaking cinema (1965–1971)
Kubrick spent five years developing his next film, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), having been highly impressed with science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End, about a superior alien race who assist mankind in eliminating their old selves. After meeting Clarke in New York City in April 1964, Kubrick made the suggestion to work on his 1948 short story The Sentinel, in which a monolith found on the Moon alerts aliens of mankind. That year, Clarke began writing the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and collaborated with Kubrick on a screenplay. The film's theme, the birthing of one intelligence by another, is developed in two parallel intersecting stories on two different time scales. One depicts evolutionary transitions between various stages of man, from ape to "star child", as man is reborn into a new existence, each step shepherded by an enigmatic alien intelligence seen only in its artifacts: a series of seemingly indestructible eons-old black monoliths. In space, the enemy is a supercomputer known as HAL who runs the spaceship, a character which novelist Clancy Sigal described as being "far, far more human, more humorous and conceivably decent than anything else that may emerge from this far-seeing enterprise".
Kubrick intensively researched for the film, paying particular attention to accuracy and detail in what the future might look like. He was granted permission by NASA to observe the spacecraft being used in the Ranger 9 mission for accuracy. Filming commenced on December 29, 1965, with the excavation of the monolith on the moon, and footage was shot in Namib Desert in early 1967, with the ape scenes completed later that year. The special effects team continued working until the end of the year to complete the film, taking the cost to $10.5 million. 2001: A Space Odyssey was conceived as a Cinerama spectacle and was photographed in Super Panavision 70, giving the viewer a "dazzling mix of imagination and science" through ground-breaking effects, which earned Kubrick his only personal Oscar, an Academy Award for Visual Effects. Kubrick said of the concept of the film in an interview with Rolling Stone: "On the deepest psychological level, the film's plot symbolized the search for God, and finally postulates what is little less than a scientific definition of God. The film revolves around this metaphysical conception, and the realistic hardware and the documentary feelings about everything were necessary in order to undermine your built-in resistance to the poetical concept".
Upon release in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was not an immediate hit among critics, who faulted its lack of dialog, slow pacing, and seemingly impenetrable storyline. The film appeared to defy genre convention, much unlike any science-fiction movie before it, and clearly different from any of Kubrick's earlier works. Kubrick was particularly outraged by a scathing review from Pauline Kael, who called it "the biggest amateur movie of them all", with Kubrick doing "really every dumb thing he ever wanted to do". Despite mixed contemporary critical reviews, 2001 gradually gained popularity and earned $31 million worldwide by the end of 1972. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and is a staple on All Time Top 10 lists. Baxter describes the film as "one of the most admired and discussed creations in the history of cinema", and Steven Spielberg has referred to it as "the big bang of his film making generation". For biographer Vincent LoBrutto it "positioned Stanley Kubrick as a pure artist ranked among the masters of cinema".
After completing 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick searched for a project that he could film quickly on a more modest budget. He settled on A Clockwork Orange (1971) at the end of 1969, an exploration of violence and experimental rehabilitation by law enforcement authorities, based around the character of Alex (portrayed by Malcolm McDowell). Kubrick had received a copy of Anthony Burgess's novel of the same name from Terry Southern while they were working on Dr. Strangelove, but had rejected it on the grounds that Nadsat, a street language for young teenagers, was too difficult to comprehend. The decision to make a film about the degeneration of youth reflected contemporary concerns in 1969; the New Hollywood movement was creating a great number of films that depicted the sexuality and rebelliousness of young people. A Clockwork Orange was shot over 1970–1971 on a budget of £2 million. Kubrick abandoned his use of CinemaScope in filming, deciding that the 1.66:1 widescreen format was, in the words of Baxter, an "acceptable compromise between spectacle and intimacy", and favored his "rigorously symmetrical framing", which "increased the beauty of his compositions". The film heavily features "pop erotica" of the period, including a giant white plastic set of male genitals, decor which Kubrick had intended to give it a "slightly futuristic" look. McDowell's role in Lindsay Anderson's if.... (1968) was crucial to his casting as Alex, and Kubrick professed that he probably would not have made the film if McDowell had been unavailable.
Because of its depiction of teenage violence, A Clockwork Orange became one of the most controversial films of its time, and part of an ongoing debate about violence and its glorification in cinema. It received an X rating, or certificate, in both the UK and US, on its release just before Christmas 1971, though many critics saw much of the violence depicted in the film as satirical, and less violent than Straw Dogs, which had been released a month earlier. Kubrick personally pulled the film from release in the United Kingdom after receiving death threats following a series of copycat crimes based on the film; it was thus completely unavailable legally in the UK until after Kubrick's death, and not re-released until 2000. John Trevelyan, the censor of the film, personally considered A Clockwork Orange to be "perhaps the most brilliant piece of cinematic art I've ever seen," and believed it to present an "intellectual argument rather than a sadistic spectacle" in its depiction of violence, but acknowledged that many would not agree. Negative media hype over the film notwithstanding, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing, and was named by the New York Film Critics Circle as the Best Film of 1971. After William Friedkin won Best Director for The French Connection that year, he told the press: "Speaking personally, I think Stanley Kubrick is the best American film-maker of the year. In fact, not just this year, but the best, period."
Period and horror filming (1972–1980)
Barry Lyndon (1975) is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's The Luck of Barry Lyndon, a picaresque novel about the adventures of an 18th-century Irish rogue and social climber. John Calley of Warner Bros. agreed in 1972 to invest $2.5 million into the film, on condition that Kubrick approach major Hollywood stars, to ensure success. Like previous films, Kubrick and his art department conducted an enormous amount of research on the 18th century. Extensive photographs were taken of locations and artwork in particular, and paintings were meticulously replicated from works of the great masters of the period in the film. The film was shot on location in Ireland, beginning in the autumn of 1973, at a cost of $11 million with a cast and crew of 170. The decision to shoot in Ireland stemmed from the fact that it still retained many buildings from the 18th century period which England lacked. The production was problematic from the start, plagued with heavy rain and political strife involving Northern Ireland at the time. After Kubrick received death threats from the IRA in 1974 due to the shooting scenes with English soldiers, he fled Ireland with his family on a ferry from Dún Laoghaire under an assumed identity and resumed filming in England.
Baxter notes that Barry Lyndon was the film which made Kubrick notorious for paying scrupulous attention to detail, often demanding twenty or thirty retakes of the same scene to perfect his art. Often considered to be his most authentic-looking picture, the cinematography and lighting techniques that Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott used in Barry Lyndon were highly innovative. Interior scenes were shot with a specially adapted high-speed f/0.7 Zeiss camera lens originally developed for NASA to be used in satellite photography. The lenses allowed many scenes to be lit only with candlelight, creating two-dimensional, diffused-light images reminiscent of 18th-century paintings. Cinematographer Allen Daviau states that the method gives the audience a way of seeing the characters and scenes as they would have been seen by people at the time. Many of the fight scenes were shot with a hand-held camera to produce a "sense of documentary realism and immediacy".
Barry Lyndon found a great audience in France, but was a box office failure, grossing just $9.5 million in the American market, not even close to the $30 million Warner Bros. needed to generate a profit. The pace and length of Barry Lyndon at three hours put off many American critics and audiences, but the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score, more than any other Kubrick film. As with most of Kubrick's films, Barry Lyndon'''s reputation has grown through the years and it is now considered to be one of his best, particularly among filmmakers and critics. Numerous polls, such as The Village Voice (1999), Sight & Sound (2002), and Time (2005), have rated it as one of the greatest films ever made. , it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews. Roger Ebert referred to it as "one of the most beautiful films ever made ... certainly in every frame a Kubrick film: technically awesome, emotionally distant, remorseless in its doubt of human goodness".The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of an isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick gave his actors freedom to extend the script and even improvise on occasion, and as a result, Nicholson was responsible for the 'Here's Johnny!' line and the scene in which he's sitting at the typewriter and unleashes his anger upon his wife. Kubrick often demanded up to 70 or 80 retakes of the same scene. Duvall, whom Kubrick intentionally isolated and argued with, was forced to perform the exhausting baseball bat scene 127 times. The bar scene with the ghostly bartender was shot 36 times, while the kitchen scene between the characters of Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Halloran (Scatman Crothers) ran to 148 takes. The aerial shots of the Overlook Hotel were shot at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, while the interiors of the hotel were shot at Elstree Studios in England between May 1978 and April 1979. Cardboard models were made of all of the sets of the film, and the lighting of them was a massive undertaking, which took four months of electrical wiring. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to use its full potential. The Shining was not the only horror film to which Kubrick had been linked; he had turned down the directing of both The Exorcist (1973) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), despite once saying in 1966 to a friend that he had long desired to "make the world's scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience".
Five days after release on May 23, 1980, Kubrick ordered the deletion of a final scene, in which the hotel manager Ullman (Barry Nelson) visits Wendy (Shelley Duvall) in hospital, believing it unnecessary after witnessing the audience excitement in cinemas at the film's climax. The Shining opened to strong box office takings, earning $1 million on the first weekend and earning $30.9 million in America by the end of the year. The original critical response was mixed, and King detested the film and disliked Kubrick. The Shining is now considered to be a horror classic, and the American Film Institute has ranked it as the 27th greatest thriller film of all time.
Later work and final years (1981–1999)
Kubrick met author Michael Herr through mutual friend David Cornwell (novelist John le Carré) in 1980, and became interested in his book Dispatches, about the Vietnam War. Herr had recently written Martin Sheen's narration for Apocalypse Now (1979). Kubrick was also intrigued by Gustav Hasford's Vietnam War novel The Short-Timers. With the vision in mind to shoot what would become Full Metal Jacket (1987), Kubrick began working with both Herr and Hasford separately on a script. He eventually found Hasford's novel to be "brutally honest" and decided to shoot a film which closely follows the novel. All of the film was shot at a cost of $17 million within a 30-mile radius of his house between August 1985 and September 1986, later than scheduled as Kubrick shut down production for five months following a near-fatal accident with a jeep involving Lee Ermey. A derelict gasworks in Beckton in the London Docklands area posed as the ruined city of Huế, which makes the film visually very different from other Vietnam War films. Around 200 palm trees were imported via 40-foot trailers by road from North Africa, at a cost of £1000 a tree, and thousands of plastic plants were ordered from Hong Kong to provide foliage for the film. Kubrick explained he made the film look realistic by using natural light, and achieved a "newsreel effect" by making the Steadicam shots less steady, which reviewers and commentators thought contributed to the bleakness and seriousness of the film.
According to critic Michel Ciment, the film contained some of Kubrick's trademark characteristics, such as his selection of ironic music, portrayals of men being dehumanized, and attention to extreme detail to achieve realism. In a later scene, United States Marines patrol the ruins of an abandoned and destroyed city singing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club as a sardonic counterpoint. The film opened strongly in June 1987, taking over $30 million in the first 50 days alone, but critically it was overshadowed by the success of Oliver Stone's Platoon, released a year earlier. Co-star Matthew Modine stated one of Kubrick's favorite reviews read: "The first half of FMJ is brilliant. Then the film degenerates into a masterpiece." Roger Ebert was not particularly impressed with it, awarding it a mediocre 2.5 out of 4. He concluded: "Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is more like a book of short stories than a novel", a "strangely shapeless film from the man whose work usually imposes a ferociously consistent vision on his material".
Kubrick's final film was Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a Manhattan couple on a sexual odyssey. Tom Cruise portrays a doctor who witnesses a bizarre masked quasireligious orgiastic ritual at a country mansion, a discovery which later threatens his life. The story is based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 Freudian novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story in English), which Kubrick relocated from turn-of-the-century Vienna to New York City in the 1990s. Kubrick said of the novel: "A difficult book to describe—what good book isn't. It explores the sexual ambivalence of a happy marriage and tries to equate the importance of sexual dreams and might-have-beens with reality. All of Schnitzler's work is psychologically brilliant". Kubrick was almost 70, but worked relentlessly for 15 months to get the film out by its planned release date of July 16, 1999. He commenced a script with Frederic Raphael, and worked 18 hours a day, while maintaining complete confidentiality about the film.Eyes Wide Shut, like Lolita and A Clockwork Orange before it, faced censorship before release. Kubrick sent an unfinished preview copy to the stars and producers a few months before release, but his sudden death on March 7, 1999, came a few days after he finished editing. He never saw the final version released to the public, but he did see the preview of the film with Warner Bros., Cruise, and Kidman, and had reportedly told Warner executive Julian Senior that it was his "best film ever". At the time, critical opinion of the film was mixed, and it was viewed less favorably than most of Kubrick's films. Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, comparing the structure to a thriller and writing that it is "like an erotic daydream about chances missed and opportunities avoided", and thought that Kubrick's use of lighting at Christmas made the film "all a little garish, like an urban sideshow". Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post disliked the film, writing that it "is actually sad, rather than bad. It feels creaky, ancient, hopelessly out of touch, infatuated with the hot taboos of his youth and unable to connect with that twisty thing contemporary sexuality has become."
Unfinished and unrealized projects
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Kubrick collaborated with Brian Aldiss on expanding his short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" into a three-act film. It was a futuristic fairy tale about a robot that resembles and behaves as a child, and his efforts to become a 'real boy' in a manner similar to Pinocchio. Kubrick approached Spielberg in 1995 with the AI script with the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing it and Kubrick producing it. Kubrick reportedly held long telephone discussions with Spielberg regarding the film, and, according to Spielberg, at one point stated that the subject matter was closer to Spielberg's sensibilities than his.
Following Kubrick's 1999 death, Spielberg took the drafts and notes left by Kubrick and his writers and composed a new screenplay based on an earlier 90-page story treatment by Ian Watson written under Kubrick's supervision and specifications. In association with what remained of Kubrick's production unit, he directed the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) which was produced by Kubrick's longtime producer (and brother-in-law) Jan Harlan. Sets, costumes, and art direction were based on the works of conceptual artist Chris Baker, who had also done much of his work under Kubrick's supervision.
Spielberg was able to function autonomously in Kubrick's absence, but said he felt "inhibited to honor him", and followed Kubrick's visual schema with as much fidelity as he could. Spielberg, who once referred to Kubrick as "the greatest master I ever served", now with production underway, admitted, "I felt like I was being coached by a ghost." The film was released in June 2001. It contains a posthumous production credit for Stanley Kubrick at the beginning and the brief dedication "For Stanley Kubrick" at the end. John Williams's score contains many allusions to pieces heard in other Kubrick films.
Napoleon
Following 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick planned to make a film about the life of Napoleon. Fascinated by the French leader's life and "self-destruction", Kubrick spent a great deal of time planning the film's development and conducted about two years of research into Napoleon's life, reading several hundred books and gaining access to his personal memoirs and commentaries. He tried to see every film about Napoleon and found none of them appealing, including Abel Gance's 1927 film which is generally considered to be a masterpiece, but for Kubrick, a "really terrible" movie. LoBrutto states that Napoleon was an ideal subject for Kubrick, embracing Kubrick's "passion for control, power, obsession, strategy, and the military", while Napoleon's psychological intensity and depth, logistical genius and war, sex, and the evil nature of man were all ingredients which deeply appealed to Kubrick.
Kubrick drafted a screenplay in 1961, and envisaged making a "grandiose" epic, with up to 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. He intended hiring the armed forces of an entire country to make the film, as he considered Napoleonic battles to be "so beautiful, like vast lethal ballets", with an "aesthetic brilliance that doesn't require a military mind to appreciate". He wanted them replicated as authentically as possible on screen. Kubrick sent research teams to scout for locations across Europe, and commissioned screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, one of his young assistants on 2001, to the Isle of Elba, Austerlitz, and Waterloo, taking thousands of pictures for his later perusal. Kubrick approached numerous stars to play leading roles, including Audrey Hepburn for Empress Josephine, a part which she could not accept due to semiretirement.
British actors David Hemmings and Ian Holm were considered for the lead role of Napoleon, before Jack Nicholson was cast. The film was well into preproduction and ready to begin filming in 1969 when MGM cancelled the project. Numerous reasons have been cited for the abandonment of the project, including its projected cost, a change of ownership at MGM, and the poor reception that the 1970 Soviet film about Napoleon, Waterloo, received. In 2011, Taschen published the book Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made, a large volume compilation of literature and source documents from Kubrick, such as scene photo ideas and copies of letters Kubrick wrote and received. In March 2013, Steven Spielberg, who previously collaborated with Kubrick on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and is a passionate admirer of his work, announced that he would be developing Napoleon as a TV miniseries based on Kubrick's original screenplay.
Other projects
In the 1950s, Kubrick and Harris developed a sitcom starring Ernie Kovacs and a film adaption of the book I Stole $16,000,000, but nothing came of them. Tony Frewin, an assistant who worked with the director for a long period of time, revealed in a 2013 Atlantic article: "[Kubrick] was limitlessly interested in anything to do with Nazis and desperately wanted to make a film on the subject." Kubrick had intended to make a film about , a Nazi officer who used the pen name "Dr. Jazz" to write reviews of German music scenes during the Nazi era. Kubrick had been given a copy of the Mike Zwerin book Swing Under the Nazis after he had finished production on Full Metal Jacket, the front cover of which featured a photograph of Schulz-Köhn. A screenplay was never completed and Kubrick's adaptation was never initiated. The unfinished Aryan Papers, based on Louis Begley's debut novel Wartime Lies, was a factor in the abandonment of the project. Work on Aryan Papers depressed Kubrick enormously, and he eventually decided that Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) covered much of the same material.
According to biographer John Baxter, Kubrick had shown an interest in directing a pornographic film based on a satirical novel written by Terry Southern, titled Blue Movie, about a director who makes Hollywood's first big-budget porn film. Baxter claims that Kubrick concluded he did not have the patience or temperament to become involved in the porn industry, and Southern stated that Kubrick was "too ultra conservative" towards sexuality to have gone ahead with it, but liked the idea. Kubrick was unable to direct a film of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum as Eco had given his publisher instructions to never sell the film rights to any of his books after his dissatisfaction with the film version of The Name of the Rose. Also, when the film rights to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings were sold to United Artists, the Beatles approached Kubrick to direct them in a film adaptation, but Kubrick was unwilling to produce a film based on a very popular book.
Career influences
As a young man, Kubrick was fascinated by the films of Soviet filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Kubrick read Pudovkin's seminal theoretical work, Film Technique, which argues that editing makes film a unique art form, and it needs to be employed to manipulate the medium to its fullest. Kubrick recommended this work to others for many years. Thomas Nelson describes this book as "the greatest influence of any single written work on the evolution of [Kubrick's] private aesthetics". Kubrick also found the ideas of Konstantin Stanislavski to be essential to his understanding the basics of directing, and gave himself a crash course to learn his methods.
Kubrick's family and many critics felt that his Jewish ancestry may have contributed to his worldview and aspects of his films. After his death, both his daughter and wife stated that he was not religious, but "did not deny his Jewishness, not at all". His daughter noted that he wanted to make a film about the Holocaust, the Aryan Papers, having spent years researching the subject. Most of Kubrick's friends and early photography and film collaborators were Jewish, and his first two marriages were to daughters of recent Jewish immigrants from Europe. British screenwriter Frederic Raphael, who worked closely with Kubrick in his final years, believes that the originality of Kubrick's films was partly because he "had a (Jewish?) respect for scholars". He declared that it was "absurd to try to understand Stanley Kubrick without reckoning on Jewishness as a fundamental aspect of his mentality".
Walker notes that Kubrick was influenced by the tracking and "fluid camera" styles of director Max Ophüls, and used them in many of his films, including Paths of Glory and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick noted how in Ophuls' films "the camera went through every wall and every floor". He once named Ophüls' Le Plaisir (1952) as his favorite film. According to film historian John Wakeman, Ophüls himself learned the technique from director Anatole Litvak in the 1930s, when he was his assistant, and whose work was "replete with the camera trackings, pans and swoops which later became the trademark of Max Ophüls". Geoffrey Cocks believes that Kubrick was also influenced by Ophüls' stories of thwarted love and a preoccupation with predatory men, while Herr notes that Kubrick was deeply inspired by G. W. Pabst, who earlier tried, but was unable to adapt Schnitzler's Traumnovelle, the basis of Eyes Wide Shut. Film critic Robert Kolker sees the influence of Welles' moving camera shots on Kubrick's style. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick identified with Welles and that this influenced the making of The Killing, with its "multiple points of view, extreme angles, and deep focus".
Kubrick admired the work of Ingmar Bergman and expressed it in personal letter: "Your vision of life has moved me deeply, much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. I believe you are the greatest film-maker at work today [...], unsurpassed by anyone in the creation of mood and atmosphere, the subtlety of performance, the avoidance of the obvious, the truthfulness and completeness of characterization. To this one must also add everything else that goes into the making of a film; [...] and I shall look forward with eagerness to each of your films."
When the American magazine Cinema asked Kubrick in 1963 to name his favorite films, he listed Italian director Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni as number one in his Top 10 list.
Directing techniques
Philosophy
Kubrick's films typically involve expressions of an inner struggle, examined from different perspectives.
He was very careful not to present his own views of the meaning of his films and to leave them open to interpretation. He explained in a 1960 interview with Robert Emmett Ginna:
"One of the things I always find extremely difficult, when a picture's finished, is when a writer or a film reviewer asks, 'Now, what is it that you were trying to say in that picture?' And without being thought too presumptuous for using this analogy, I like to remember what T. S. Eliot said to someone who had asked him—I believe it was The Waste Land—what he meant by the poem. He replied, 'I meant what I said.' If I could have said it any differently, I would have".
Kubrick likened the understanding of his films to popular music, in that whatever the background or intellect of the individual, a Beatles record, for instance, can be appreciated both by the Alabama truck driver and the young Cambridge intellectual, because their "emotions and subconscious are far more similar than their intellects". He believed that the subconscious emotional reaction experienced by audiences was far more powerful in the film medium than in any other traditional verbal form, and was one of the reasons why he often relied on long periods in his films without dialogue, placing emphasis on images and sound. In a 1975 Time magazine interview, Kubrick further stated: "The essence of a dramatic form is to let an idea come over people without it being plainly stated. When you say something directly, it is simply not as potent as it is when you allow people to discover it for themselves." He also said: "Realism is probably the best way to dramatize argument and ideas. Fantasy may deal best with themes which lie primarily in the unconscious".
Diane Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Shining with Kubrick, notes that he "always said that it was better to adapt a book rather than write an original screenplay, and that you should choose a work that isn't a masterpiece so you can improve on it. Which is what he's always done, except with Lolita". When deciding on a subject for a film, there were many aspects that he looked for, and he always made films which would "appeal to every sort of viewer, whatever their expectation of film". According to his co-producer Jan Harlan, Kubrick mostly "wanted to make films about things that mattered, that not only had form, but substance". Kubrick believed that audiences quite often were attracted to "enigmas and allegories" and did not like films in which everything was spelled out clearly.
Sexuality in Kubrick's films is usually depicted outside matrimonial relationships in hostile situations. Baxter states that Kubrick explores the "furtive and violent side alleys of the sexual experience: voyeurism, domination, bondage and rape" in his films. He further points out that films like A Clockwork Orange are "powerfully homoerotic", from Alex walking about his parents' flat in his Y-fronts, one eye being "made up with doll-like false eyelashes", to his innocent acceptance of the sexual advances of his post-corrective adviser Deltroid (Aubrey Morris). British critic Adrian Turner notes that Kubrick's films appear to be "preoccupied with questions of universal and inherited evil", and Malcolm McDowell referred to his humor as "black as coal", questioning his outlook on humanity. A few of his pictures were obvious satires and black comedies, such as Lolita and Dr. Strangelove; many of his other films also contained less visible elements of satire or irony. His films are unpredictable, examining "the duality and contradictions that exist in all of us". Ciment notes how Kubrick often tried to confound audience expectations by establishing radically different moods from one film to the next, remarking that he was almost "obsessed with contradicting himself, with making each work a critique of the previous one".
Kubrick stated that "there is no deliberate pattern to the stories that I have chosen to make into films. About the only factor at work each time is that I try not to repeat myself". As a result, Kubrick was often misunderstood by critics, and only once did he have unanimously positive reviews upon the release of a film—for Paths of Glory.
Writing and staging scenes
Film author Patrick Webster considers Kubrick's methods of writing and developing scenes to fit with the classical auteur theory of directing, allowing collaboration and improvisation with the actors during filming. Malcolm McDowell recalled Kubrick's collaborative emphasis during their discussions and his willingness to allow him to improvise a scene, stating that "there was a script and we followed it, but when it didn't work he knew it, and we had to keep rehearsing endlessly until we were bored with it".
Once Kubrick was confident in the overall staging of a scene, and felt the actors were prepared, he would then develop the visual aspects, including camera and lighting placement. Walker believes that Kubrick was one of "very few film directors competent to instruct their lighting photographers in the precise effect they want". Baxter believes that Kubrick was heavily influenced by his ancestry and always possessed a European perspective to filmmaking, particularly the Austro-Hungarian empire and his admiration for Max Ophuls and Richard Strauss.
Gilbert Adair, writing in a review for Full Metal Jacket, commented that "Kubrick's approach to language has always been of a reductive and uncompromisingly deterministic nature. He appears to view it as the exclusive product of environmental conditioning, only very marginally influenced by concepts of subjectivity and interiority, by all whims, shades and modulations of personal expression". Johnson notes that although Kubrick was a "visual filmmaker", he also loved words and was like a writer in his approach, very sensitive to the story itself, which he found unique. Before shooting began, Kubrick tried to have the script as complete as possible, but still allowed himself enough space to make changes during the filming, finding it "more profitable to avoid locking up any ideas about staging or camera or even dialogue prior to rehearsals" as he put it. Kubrick told Robert Emmett Ginna: "I think you have to view the entire problem of putting the story you want to tell up there on that light square. It begins with the selection of the property; it continues through the creation of the story, the sets, the costumes, the photography and the acting. And when the picture is shot, it's only partially finished. I think the cutting is just a continuation of directing a movie. I think the use of music effects, opticals and finally main titles are all part of telling the story. And I think the fragmentation of these jobs, by different people, is a very bad thing". Kubrick also said: "I think that the best plot is no apparent plot. I like a slow start, the start that gets under the audience's skin and involves them so that they can appreciate grace notes and soft tones and don't have to be pounded over the head with plot points and suspense tools."
Directing
Kubrick was notorious for demanding multiple takes during filming to perfect his art, and his relentless approach was often extremely demanding for his actors. Jack Nicholson remarked that Kubrick would often demand up to fifty takes of a scene. Nicole Kidman explains that the large number of takes he often required stopped actors from consciously thinking about technique, thereby helping them enter a "deeper place". Kubrick's high take ratio was considered by some critics as "irrational"; he firmly believed that actors were at their best during the filming, as opposed to rehearsals, due to the sense of intense excitement that it generates. Kubrick explained: "Actors are essentially emotion-producing instruments, and some are always tuned and ready while others will reach a fantastic pitch on one take and never equal it again, no matter how hard they try" ...
"When you make a movie, it takes a few days just to get used to the crew, because it is like getting undressed in front of fifty people. Once you're accustomed to them, the presence of even one other person on set is discordant and tends to produce self-consciousness in the actors, and certainly in itself". He also told biographer Michel Ciment: "It's invariably because the actors don't know their lines, or don't know them well enough. An actor can only do one thing at a time, and when he learned his lines only well enough to say them while he's thinking about them, he will always have trouble as soon as he has to work on the emotions of the scene or find camera marks. In a strong emotional scene, it is always best to be able to shoot in complete takes to allow the actor a continuity of emotion, and it is rare for most actors to reach their peak more than once or twice. There are, occasionally, scenes which benefit from extra takes, but even then, I'm not sure that the early takes aren't just glorified rehearsals with the adding adrenaline of film running through the camera."
Kubrick would devote his personal breaks to having lengthy discussions with actors. Among those who valued his attention was Tony Curtis, star of Spartacus, who said Kubrick was his favorite director, adding, "his greatest effectiveness was his one-on-one relationship with actors." He further added, "Kubrick had his own approach to film-making. He wanted to see the actor's faces. He didn't want cameras always in a wide shot twenty-five feet away, he wanted close-ups, he wanted to keep the camera moving. That was his style." Similarly, Malcolm McDowell recalls the long discussions he had with Kubrick to help him develop his character in A Clockwork Orange, noting that on set he felt entirely uninhibited and free, which is what made Kubrick "such a great director". Kubrick also allowed actors at times to improvise and to "break the rules", particularly with Peter Sellers in Lolita, which became a turning point in his career as it allowed him to work creatively during the shooting, as opposed to the preproduction stage.
During an interview, Ryan O'Neal recalled Kubrick's directing style: "God, he works you hard. He moves you, pushes you, helps you, gets cross with you, but above all he teaches you the value of a good director. Stanley brought out aspects of my personality and acting instincts that had been dormant ... My strong suspicion [was] that I was involved in something great". He further added that working with Kubrick was "a stunning experience" and that he never recovered from working with somebody of such magnificence.
Cinematography
Kubrick credited the ease with which he filmed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius".
Among Kubrick's innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible.
Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world.
Editing and music
Kubrick spent extensive hours editing, often working seven days a week, and more hours a day as he got closer to deadlines. For Kubrick, written dialogue was one element to be put in balance with mise en scène (set arrangements), music, and especially, editing. Inspired by Pudovkin's treatise on film editing, Kubrick realized that one could create a performance in the editing room and often "re-direct" a film, and he remarked: "I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of filmmaking ... Editing is the only unique aspect of filmmaking which does not resemble any other art form—a point so important it cannot be overstressed ... It can make or break a film". Biographer John Baxter stated that "Instead of finding the intellectual spine of a film in the script before starting work, Kubrick felt his way towards the final version of a film by shooting each scene from many angles and demanding scores of takes on each line. Then over months ... he arranged and rearranged the tens of thousands of scraps of film to fit a vision that really only began to emerge during editing".
Kubrick's attention to music was an aspect of what many referred to as his "perfectionism" and extreme attention to minute details, which his wife Christiane attributed to an addiction to music. In his last six films, Kubrick usually chose music from existing sources, especially classical compositions. He preferred selecting recorded music over having it composed for a film, believing that no hired composer could do as well as the public domain classical composers. He also felt that building scenes from great music often created the "most memorable scenes" in the best films. In one instance, for a scene in Barry Lyndon which was written into the screenplay as merely, "Barry duels with Lord Bullingdon", he spent forty-two working days in the editing phase. During that period, he listened to what LoBrutto describes as "every available recording of seventeenth-and eighteenth- century music, acquiring thousands of records to find Handel's sarabande used to score the scene". Nicholson likewise observed his attention to music, stating that Kubrick "listened constantly to music until he discovered something he felt was right or that excited him".
Kubrick is credited with introducing Hungarian composer György Ligeti to a broad Western audience by including his music in 2001, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. According to Baxter, the music in 2001 was "at the forefront of Kubrick's mind" when he conceived the film. During earlier screening he played music by Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams, and Kubrick and writer Clarke had listened to Carl Orff's transcription of Carmina Burana, consisting of 13th century sacred and secular songs. Ligeti's music employed the new style of micropolyphony, which used sustained dissonant chords that shift slowly over time, a style he originated. Its inclusion in the film became a "boon for the relatively unknown composer" partly because it was introduced alongside background by Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss.
In addition to Ligeti, Kubrick enjoyed a collaboration with composer Wendy Carlos, whose 1968 album Switched-On Bach—which re-interpreted baroque music through the use of a Moog synthesizer—caught his attention. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange. Additional music not used in the film was released in 1972 as Wendy Carlos's Clockwork Orange. Kubrick later collaborated with Carlos on The Shining (1980). The opening of the film employs Carlos' rendering of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.
Personal life
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz, a caricaturist, on May 29, 1948, when he was 19 years old. The couple lived together in Greenwich Village and divorced three years later in 1951. He met his second wife, the Austrian-born dancer and theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka, in 1952. They lived together in New York City's East Village beginning in 1952, married in January 1955 and moved to Hollywood in July 1955, where she played a brief part as a ballet dancer in Kubrick's film, Killer's Kiss (1955). The following year, she was art director for his film, The Killing (1956). They divorced in 1957.
During the production of Paths of Glory in Munich in early 1957, Kubrick met and romanced the German actress Christiane Harlan, who played a small though memorable role in the film. Kubrick married Harlan in 1958 and the couple remained together for 40 years, until his death in 1999. Besides his stepdaughter, they had two daughters together: Anya Renata (April 6, 1959 – July 7, 2009) and Vivian Vanessa (born August 5, 1960). In 1959, they settled into a home at 316 South Camden Drive in Beverly Hills with Harlan's daughter, Katherina, aged six. They also lived in New York City, during which time Christiane studied art at the Art Students League of New York, later becoming an independent artist. The couple moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to make Lolita, and Kubrick hired Peter Sellers to star in his next film, Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was unable to leave the UK, so Kubrick made Britain his permanent home thereafter. The move was quite convenient to Kubrick, since he shunned the Hollywood system and its publicity machine and he and Christiane had become alarmed with the increase in violence in New York City.
In 1965, the Kubricks bought Abbots Mead on Barnet Lane, just south-west of the Elstree/Borehamwood studio complex in England. Kubrick worked almost exclusively from this home for 14 years where, he researched, invented special effects techniques, designed ultra-low light lenses for specially modified cameras, pre-produced, edited, post-produced, advertised, distributed and carefully managed all aspects of four of his films. In 1978, Kubrick moved into Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, a mainly 18th-century stately home, which was once owned by a wealthy racehorse owner, about north of London and a 10-minute drive from his previous home at Abbotts Mead. His new home became a workplace for Kubrick and his wife, "a perfect family factory" as Christiane called it, and Kubrick converted the stables into extra production rooms besides ones within the home that he used for editing and storage.
A workaholic, Kubrick rarely took a vacation or left England during the forty years before his death. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's confined way of living and desire for privacy has led to spurious stories about his reclusiveness, similar to those of Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes and J. D. Salinger. Michael Herr, Kubrick's co-screenwriter on Full Metal Jacket, who knew him well, considers his "reclusiveness" to be myth: "[He] was in fact a complete failure as a recluse, unless you believe that a recluse is simply someone who seldom leaves his house. Stanley saw a lot of people ... he was one of the most gregarious men I ever knew and it didn't change anything that most of this conviviality went on over the phone." LoBrutto states that one of the reasons he acquired a reputation as a recluse was that he insisted in remaining near his home but the reason for this was that for Kubrick there were only three places on the planet he could make high quality films with the necessary technical expertise and equipment: Los Angeles, New York City or around London. He disliked living in Los Angeles and thought London a superior film production center to New York City.
As a person, Kubrick was described by Norman Lloyd as "a very dark, sort of a glowering type who was very serious". Marisa Berenson, who starred in Barry Lyndon, fondly recalled: "There was great tenderness in him and he was passionate about his work. What was striking was his enormous intelligence but he also had a great sense of humor. He was a very shy person and self-protective but he was filled with the thing that drove him twenty-four hours of the day." Kubrick was particularly fond of machines and technical equipment, to the point that his wife Christiane once stated that "Stanley would be happy with eight tape recorders and one pair of pants". Kubrick had obtained a pilot's license in August 1947 and some have claimed that he later developed a fear of flying, stemming from an incident in the early 1950s when a colleague was killed in a plane crash. Kubrick had been sent the charred remains of his camera and notebooks which, according to Duncan, traumatized him for life. Kubrick also had a strong mistrust of doctors and medicine.
Death
On March 7, 1999, six days after screening a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut for his family and the stars, Kubrick died in his sleep at the age of 70, suffering a heart attack. His funeral was held five days later at Childwickbury Manor, with only close friends and family in attendance, totaling about 100 people. The media were kept a mile away outside the entrance gate. Alexander Walker, who attended the funeral, described it as a "family farewell, ... almost like an English picnic", with cellists, clarinetists and singers providing song and music from many of his favorite classical compositions. Kaddish, the Jewish prayer typically said by mourners and in other contexts, was recited. A few of his obituaries mentioned his Jewish background. Among those who gave eulogies were Terry Semel, Jan Harlan, Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. He was buried next to his favorite tree on the estate. In her book dedicated to Kubrick, his wife Christiane included one of his favorite quotations of Oscar Wilde: "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old but that one is young."
Legacy
Cultural impact
Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, Kubrick's films are considered by film historian Michel Ciment to be "among the most important contributions to world cinema in the twentieth century", and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in the history of cinema. Leading directors, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, George Lucas, James Cameron, Terry Gilliam, the Coen brothers, Ridley Scott, and George A. Romero, have cited Kubrick as a source of inspiration, and additionally in the case of Spielberg and Scott, collaboration. On the DVD of Eyes Wide Shut, Steven Spielberg comments that the way Kubrick "tells a story is antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories" and that "nobody could shoot a picture better in history". Orson Welles, one of Kubrick's greatest personal influences and favorite directors, said that: "Among those whom I would call 'younger generation', Kubrick appears to me to be a giant."
Kubrick continues to be cited as a major influence by many directors, including Christopher Nolan, Todd Field, David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Tim Burton, Michael Mann, and Gaspar Noé. Many filmmakers imitate Kubrick's inventive and unique use of camera movement and framing, as well as his use of music, including Frank Darabont.
Artists in fields other than film have also expressed admiration for Kubrick. English musician and poet PJ Harvey, in an interview about her 2011 album Let England Shake, argued that "something about [...] what is not said in his films...there's so much space, so many things that are silent – and somehow, in that space and silence everything becomes clear. With every film, he seems to capture the essence of life itself, particularly in films like Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon...those are some of my favorites." The music video for Kanye West's 2010 song "Runaway" was inspired by Eyes Wide Shut. Pop singer Lady Gaga's concert shows have included the use of dialogue, costumes, and music from A Clockwork Orange.
Tributes
In 2000, BAFTA renamed their Britannia lifetime achievement award the "Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award", joining the likes of D. W. Griffith, Laurence Olivier, Cecil B. DeMille, and Irving Thalberg, all of whom have annual awards named after them. Kubrick won this award in 1999, and subsequent recipients have included George Lucas, Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Many people who worked with Kubrick on his films created the 2001 documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, produced and directed by Kubrick's brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, who had executive produced Kubrick's last four films.
The first public exhibition of material from Kubrick's personal archives was presented jointly in 2004 by the Deutsches Filmmuseum and Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Christiane Kubrick and Jan Harlan / The Stanley Kubrick Estate. In 2009, an exhibition of paintings and photos inspired by Kubrick's films was held in Dublin, Ireland, entitled "Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light". On October 30, 2012, an exhibition devoted to Kubrick opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and concluded in June 2013. Exhibits include a wide collection of documents, photographs and on-set material assembled from 800 boxes of personal archives that were stored in Kubrick's home-workplace in the UK. Many celebrities attended and spoke at the museum's pre-opening gala, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson, while Kubrick's widow, Christiane, appeared at the pre-gala press review. In October 2013, the Brazil São Paulo International Film Festival paid tribute to Kubrick, staging an exhibit of his work and a retrospective of his films. The exhibit opened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in late 2014 and ended in January 2015.
Kubrick is widely referenced in popular culture; for example, the TV series The Simpsons is said to contain more references to Kubrick films than any other pop culture phenomenon. When the Directors Guild of Great Britain gave Kubrick a lifetime achievement award, they included a cut-together sequence of all the homages from the show. Several works have been created that related to Kubrick's life, including the made-for-TV mockumentary Dark Side of the Moon (2002), which is a parody of the pervasive conspiracy theory that Kubrick had been involved with the faked footage of the NASA moon landings during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colour Me Kubrick (2005) was authorized by Kubrick's family and starred John Malkovich as Alan Conway, a con artist who had assumed Kubrick's identity in the 1990s. In the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Kubrick was portrayed by Stanley Tucci; the film documents the filming of Dr. Strangelove.
In April 2018, the month that marked the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the International Astronomical Union named the largest mountain of Pluto's moon Charon after Kubrick.
From October 2019 to March 2020, the Skirball Cultural Center hosted an exhibition called Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs, a show focusing on Kubrick's early career.
Accolades
See also
Filmworker, a documentary with Leon Vitali about his work with Kubrick
Hawk Films
Kubrick by Kubrick, a documentary directed by Gregory Monro and based on Michel Ciment's interviews
Stanley Kubrick Archive
Stanley Kubrick bibliography
Stanley Kubrick's Boxes Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures''
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Stanley Kubrick Collection
Stanley Kubrick at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
, movie clip compilation, 4 minutes
1928 births
1999 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
Jewish American atheists
American cinematographers
American emigrants to England
American film editors
American film producers
American male screenwriters
American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
Articles containing video clips
BAFTA fellows
Best Director BAFTA Award winners
Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners
Burials in Hertfordshire
City College of New York alumni
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
David di Donatello winners
Film directors from New York City
Filmmakers from New York (state)
Jewish American writers
People from the Bronx
People from the East Village, Manhattan
People from Greenwich Village
Photographers from New York City
Science fiction film directors
Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Special effects people
Writers from Manhattan
Writers Guild of America Award winners | false | [
"The 16th American Society of Cinematographers Awards were held on February 17, 2002, honoring the best cinematographers of film and television in 2001.\n\nWinners and nominees\n\nOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Release\n The Man Who Wasn't There – Roger Deakins\n Amélie – Bruno Delbonnel\n The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Andrew Lesnie\n Moulin Rouge! – Don McAlpine\n Pearl Harbor – John Schwartzman\n\nOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series\n The West Wing (Episode: \"Bartlet for America\") – Thomas Del Ruth Alias (Episode: \"Time Will Tell\") – Michael Bonvillain\n Ally McBeal (Episode: \"The Wedding\") – Billy Dickson\n CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Episode: \"Alter Boys\") – Michael Barrett\n The X-Files (Episode: \"This Is Not Happening\") – Bill Roe\n\nOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movie of the Week or Pilot for Basic or Pay TV\n Attila – Steven Fierberg Boss of Bosses – Brian J. Reynolds\n Just Ask My Children – Lowell Peterson\n Prancer Retuens – Bruce Worrall\n What Girls Learn – Malcolm Cross\n\nOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movie of the Week or Pilot for a Network\n Uprising'' – Denis Lenoir\n 24 – Peter Levy\n Citizen Baines – Ernest Holzman\n Don Giovanni Unmasked – Rene Ohashi\n Smallville'' – Peter Wunstorf\n\nInternational Award\n Douglas Slocombe\n\nASC Presidents Award\n Garrett Brown\n\nBoard of Governors Award\n Stanley Donen\n\nLifetime Achievement Award\n László Kovács\n\nReferences\n\n2001\n2001 film awards\n2001 television awards\n2001 in American cinema\n2001 in American television\nAmerican",
"The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Cinematography is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association at their annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. It was first presented in 2009.\n\nList of winners and nominees\n\n2000s\n\n2010s\n\n2020s\n\nSee also\nAcademy Award for Best Cinematography\n\nReferences\n\nC\nLists of films by award\nAwards for best cinematography\nAwards established in 2009"
]
|
[
"Stanley Kubrick",
"Cinematography",
"What movie did Stanley do its cinematography?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_2159876f29b345e591d56c849ac47967_0 | Any important thing about the article? | 2 | Are there any important details about the article? | Stanley Kubrick | Kubrick credited the ease with which he photographed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius". Among Kubrick's notable innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible. Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world. CANNOTANSWER | The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry | Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history. His films, almost all of which are adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their realism, dark humor, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music.
Kubrick was raised in the Bronx, New York City, and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. He received average grades, but displayed a keen interest in literature, photography, and film from a young age, and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he began making short films on shoestring budgets, and made his first major Hollywood film, The Killing, for United Artists in 1956. This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas: the war picture Paths of Glory (1957) and the historical epic Spartacus (1960).
Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios, a dislike of the Hollywood industry, and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he spent most of his remaining life and career. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which he shared with his wife Christiane, became his workplace, where he did his writing, research, editing, and management of production details. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios. His first productions in Britain were two films with Peter Sellers: Lolita (1962), an adaptation of the Vladimir Nabokov novel, and the Cold War black comedy Dr. Strangelove (1964).
A demanding perfectionist, Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process, from direction and writing to editing, and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes, working in close coordination with his actors, crew, and other collaborators. He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same shot in a movie, which resulted in many conflicts with his casts. Despite the resulting notoriety among actors, many of Kubrick's films broke new ground in cinematography. The scientific realism and innovative special effects of the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) were without precedent in the history of cinema, and the film earned him his only personal Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation's "big bang"; it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
While many of Kubrick's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release—particularly the brutal A Clockwork Orange (1971), which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy—most were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, and underwent critical reevaluations. For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon (1975), Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA, to film scenes under natural candlelight. With the horror film The Shining (1980), he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots, a technology vital to his Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket (1987). His last film, Eyes Wide Shut, was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70.
Early life
Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928, in the Lying-In Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family. He was the first of two children of Jacob Leonard Kubrick (May 21, 1902 – October 19, 1985), known as Jack or Jacques, and his wife Sadie Gertrude Kubrick ( Perveler; October 28, 1903 – April 23, 1985), known as Gert. His sister Barbara Mary Kubrick was born in May 1934. Jack Kubrick, whose parents and paternal grandparents were of Polish-Jewish, Austrian-Jewish, and Romanian-Jewish origin, was a homeopathic doctor, graduating from the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1927, the same year he married Kubrick's mother, the child of Austrian-Jewish immigrants. Kubrick's great-grandfather, Hersh Kubrick, arrived at Ellis Island via Liverpool by ship on December 27, 1899, at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife and two grown children, one of whom was Stanley's grandfather Elias, to start a new life with a younger woman. Elias Kubrick followed in 1902. At Stanley's birth the Kubricks lived in the Bronx. His parents married in a Jewish ceremony, but Kubrick did not have a religious upbringing and later professed an atheistic view of the universe. His father was a physician and, by the standards of the West Bronx, the family was fairly wealthy.
Soon after his sister's birth, Kubrick began schooling in Public School 3 in the Bronx and moved to Public School 90 in June 1938. His IQ was discovered to be above average but his attendance was poor. He displayed an interest in literature from a young age and began reading Greek and Roman myths and the fables of the Grimm brothers, which "instilled in him a lifelong affinity with Europe". He spent most Saturdays during the summer watching the New York Yankees and later photographed two boys watching the game in an assignment for Look magazine to emulate his own childhood excitement with baseball. When Kubrick was 12, his father Jack taught him chess. The game remained a lifelong interest of Kubrick's, appearing in many of his films. Kubrick, who later became a member of the United States Chess Federation, explained that chess helped him develop "patience and discipline" in making decisions. Aged 13, Kubrick's father bought him a Graflex camera, triggering a fascination with still photography. He befriended a neighbor, Marvin Traub, who shared his passion for photography. Traub had his own darkroom where he and the young Kubrick would spend many hours perusing photographs and watching the chemicals "magically make images on photographic paper". The two indulged in numerous photographic projects for which they roamed the streets looking for interesting subjects to capture and spent time in local cinemas studying films. Freelance photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig) had a considerable influence on Kubrick's development as a photographer; Kubrick later hired Fellig as the special stills photographer for Dr. Strangelove (1964). As a teenager, Kubrick was also interested in jazz and briefly attempted a career as a drummer.
Kubrick attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. Though he joined the school's photography club, which permitted him to photograph the school's events in their magazine, he was a mediocre student, with a 67/D+ grade average. Introverted and shy, Kubrick had a low attendance record and often skipped school to watch double-feature films. He graduated in 1945 but his poor grades, combined with the demand for college admissions from soldiers returning from the Second World War, eliminated any hope of higher education. Later in life Kubrick spoke disdainfully of his education and of American schooling as a whole, maintaining that schools were ineffective in stimulating critical thinking and student interest. His father was disappointed in his son's failure to achieve the excellence in school of which he knew Stanley was fully capable. Jack also encouraged Stanley to read from the family library at home, while permitting Stanley to take up photography as a serious hobby.
Photographic career
While in high school, Kubrick was chosen as an official school photographer. In the mid-1940s, since he was unable to gain admission to day session classes at colleges, he briefly attended evening classes at the City College of New York. Eventually, he sold a photographic series to Look magazine, which was printed on June 26, 1945. Kubrick supplemented his income by playing chess "for quarters" in Washington Square Park and various Manhattan chess clubs.
In 1946, he became an apprentice photographer for Look and later a full-time staff photographer. G. Warren Schloat, Jr., another new photographer for the magazine at the time, recalled that he thought Kubrick lacked the personality to make it as a director in Hollywood, remarking, "Stanley was a quiet fellow. He didn't say much. He was thin, skinny, and kind of poor—like we all were." Kubrick quickly became known for his story-telling in photographs. His first, published on April 16, 1946, was entitled "A Short Story from a Movie Balcony" and staged a fracas between a man and a woman, during which the man is slapped in the face, caught genuinely by surprise. In another assignment, 18 pictures were taken of various people waiting in a dental office. It has been said retrospectively that this project demonstrated an early interest of Kubrick in capturing individuals and their feelings in mundane environments. In 1948, he was sent to Portugal to document a travel piece, and covered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida.
A boxing enthusiast, Kubrick eventually began photographing boxing matches for the magazine. His earliest, "Prizefighter", was published on January 18, 1949, and captured a boxing match and the events leading up to it, featuring Walter Cartier. On April 2, 1949, he published photo essay "Chicago-City of Extremes" in Look, which displayed his talent early on for creating atmosphere with imagery. The following year, in July 1950, the magazine published his photo essay, "Working Debutante – Betsy von Furstenberg", which featured a Pablo Picasso portrait of Angel F. de Soto in the background. Kubrick was also assigned to photograph numerous jazz musicians, from Frank Sinatra and Erroll Garner to George Lewis, Eddie Condon, Phil Napoleon, Papa Celestin, Alphonse Picou, Muggsy Spanier, Sharkey Bonano, and others.
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz on May 28, 1948. They lived together in a small apartment at 36 West 16th Street, off Sixth Avenue just north of Greenwich Village. During this time, Kubrick began frequenting film screenings at the Museum of Modern Art and New York City cinemas. He was inspired by the complex, fluid camerawork of director Max Ophüls, whose films influenced Kubrick's visual style, and by the director Elia Kazan, whom he described as America's "best director" at that time, with his ability of "performing miracles" with his actors. Friends began to notice Kubrick had become obsessed with the art of filmmaking—one friend, David Vaughan, observed that Kubrick would scrutinize the film at the cinema when it went silent, and would go back to reading his paper when people started talking. He spent many hours reading books on film theory and writing notes. He was particularly inspired by Sergei Eisenstein and Arthur Rothstein, the photographic technical director of Look magazine.
Film career
Short films (1951–1953)
Kubrick shared a love of film with his school friend Alexander Singer, who after graduating from high school had the intention of directing a film version of Homer's Iliad. Through Singer, who worked in the offices of the newsreel production company, The March of Time, Kubrick learned it could cost $40,000 to make a proper short film, money he could not afford. He had $1500 in savings and produced a few short documentaries fueled by encouragement from Singer. He began learning all he could about filmmaking on his own, calling film suppliers, laboratories, and equipment rental houses.
Kubrick decided to make a short film documentary about boxer Walter Cartier, whom he had photographed and written about for Look magazine a year earlier. He rented a camera and produced a 16-minute black-and-white documentary, Day of the Fight. Kubrick found the money independently to finance it. He had considered asking Montgomery Clift to narrate it, whom he had met during a photographic session for Look, but settled on CBS news veteran Douglas Edwards. According to Paul Duncan the film was "remarkably accomplished for a first film", and used a backward tracking shot to film a scene in which Cartier and his brother walk towards the camera, a device which later became one of Kubrick's characteristic camera movements. Vincent Cartier, Walter's brother and manager, later reflected on his observations of Kubrick during the filming. He said, "Stanley was a very stoic, impassive but imaginative type person with strong, imaginative thoughts. He commanded respect in a quiet, shy way. Whatever he wanted, you complied, he just captivated you. Anybody who worked with Stanley did just what Stanley wanted". After a score was added by Singer's friend Gerald Fried, Kubrick had spent $3900 in making it, and sold it to RKO-Pathé for $4000, which was the most the company had ever paid for a short film at the time. Kubrick described his first effort at filmmaking as having been valuable since he believed himself to have been forced to do most of the work, and he later declared that the "best education in film is to make one".
Inspired by this early success, Kubrick quit his job at Look and visited professional filmmakers in New York City, asking many detailed questions about the technical aspects of filmmaking. He stated that he was given the confidence during this period to become a filmmaker because of the number of bad films he had seen, remarking, "I don't know a goddamn thing about movies, but I know I can make a better film than that". He began making Flying Padre (1951), a film which documents Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, who travels some 4,000 miles to visit his 11 churches. The film was originally going to be called "Sky Pilot", a pun on the slang term for a priest. During the course of the film, the priest performs a burial service, confronts a boy bullying a girl, and makes an emergency flight to aid a sick mother and baby into an ambulance. Several of the views from and of the plane in Flying Padre are later echoed in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) with the footage of the spacecraft, and a series of close-ups on the faces of people attending the funeral were most likely inspired by Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) and Ivan the Terrible (1944/1958).
Flying Padre was followed by The Seafarers (1953), Kubrick's first color film, which was shot for the Seafarers International Union in June 1953. It depicted the logistics of a democratic union and focused more on the amenities of seafaring other than the act. For the cafeteria scene in the film, Kubrick chose a dolly shot to establish the life of the seafarer's community; this kind of shot would later become a signature technique. The sequence of Paul Hall, secretary-treasurer of the SIU Atlantic and gulf district, speaking to members of the union echoes scenes from Eisenstein's Strike (1925) and October (1928). Day of the Fight, Flying Padre and The Seafarers constitute Kubrick's only surviving documentary works; some historians believe he made others.
Early feature work (1953–1955)
After raising $1000 showing his short films to friends and family, Kubrick found the finances to begin making his first feature film, Fear and Desire (1953), originally running with the title The Trap, written by his friend Howard Sackler. Kubrick's uncle, Martin Perveler, a Los Angeles pharmacy owner, invested a further $9000 on condition that he be credited as executive producer of the film. Kubrick assembled several actors and a small crew totaling 14 people (five actors, five crewmen, and four others to help transport the equipment) and flew to the San Gabriel Mountains in California for a five-week, low-budget shoot. Later renamed The Shape of Fear before finally being named Fear and Desire, it is a fictional allegory about a team of soldiers who survive a plane crash and are caught behind enemy lines in a war. During the course of the film, one of the soldiers becomes infatuated with an attractive girl in the woods and binds her to a tree. This scene is noted for its close-ups on the face of the actress. Kubrick had intended for Fear and Desire to be a silent picture in order to ensure low production costs; the added sounds, effects, and music ultimately brought production costs to around $53,000, exceeding the budget. He was bailed out by producer Richard de Rochemont on the condition that he help in de Rochemont's production of a five-part television series about Abraham Lincoln on location in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Fear and Desire was a commercial failure, but garnered several positive reviews upon release. Critics such as the reviewer from The New York Times believed that Kubrick's professionalism as a photographer shone through in the picture, and that he "artistically caught glimpses of the grotesque attitudes of death, the wolfishness of hungry men, as well as their bestiality, and in one scene, the wracking effect of lust on a pitifully juvenile soldier and the pinioned girl he is guarding". Columbia University scholar Mark Van Doren was highly impressed by the scenes with the girl bound to the tree, remarking that it would live on as a "beautiful, terrifying and weird" sequence which illustrated Kubrick's immense talent and guaranteed his future success. Kubrick himself later expressed embarrassment with Fear and Desire, and attempted over the years to keep prints of the film out of circulation. During the production of the film, Kubrick almost killed his cast with poisonous gasses by mistake.
Following Fear and Desire, Kubrick began working on ideas for a new boxing film. Due to the commercial failure of his first feature, Kubrick avoided asking for further investments, but commenced a film noir script with Howard O. Sackler. Originally under the title Kiss Me, Kill Me, and then The Nymph and the Maniac, Killer's Kiss (1955) is a 67-minute film noir about a young heavyweight boxer's involvement with a woman being abused by her criminal boss. Like Fear and Desire, it was privately funded by Kubrick's family and friends, with some $40,000 put forward from Bronx pharmacist Morris Bousse. Kubrick began shooting footage in Times Square, and frequently explored during the filming process, experimenting with cinematography and considering the use of unconventional angles and imagery. He initially chose to record the sound on location, but encountered difficulties with shadows from the microphone booms, restricting camera movement. His decision to drop the sound in favor of imagery was a costly one; after 12–14 weeks shooting the picture, he spent some seven months and $35,000 working on the sound.
Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) directly influenced the film with the painting laughing at a character, and Martin Scorsese has, in turn, cited Kubrick's innovative shooting angles and atmospheric shots in Killer's Kiss as an influence on Raging Bull (1980). Actress Irene Kane, the star of Killer's Kiss, observed: "Stanley's a fascinating character. He thinks movies should move, with a minimum of dialogue, and he's all for sex and sadism". Killer's Kiss met with limited commercial success and made very little money in comparison with its production budget of $75,000. Critics have praised the film's camerawork, but its acting and story are generally considered mediocre.
Hollywood success and beyond (1955–1962)
While playing chess in Washington Square, Kubrick met producer James B. Harris, who considered Kubrick "the most intelligent, most creative person I have ever come in contact with." The two formed the Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corporation in 1955. Harris purchased the rights to Lionel White's novel Clean Break for $10,000 and Kubrick wrote the script, but at Kubrick's suggestion, they hired film noir novelist Jim Thompson to write the dialog for the film—which became The Killing (1956)—about a meticulously planned racetrack robbery gone wrong. The film starred Sterling Hayden, who had impressed Kubrick with his performance in The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
Kubrick and Harris moved to Los Angeles and signed with the Jaffe Agency to shoot the picture, which became Kubrick's first full-length feature film shot with a professional cast and crew. The Union in Hollywood stated that Kubrick would not be permitted to be both the director and the cinematographer, resulting in the hiring of veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard. Kubrick agreed to waive his fee for the production, which was shot in 24 days on a budget of $330,000. He clashed with Ballard during the shooting, and on one occasion Kubrick threatened to fire Ballard following a camera dispute, despite being aged only 27 and 20 years Ballard's junior. Hayden recalled Kubrick was "cold and detached. Very mechanical, always confident. I've worked with few directors who are that good".
The Killing failed to secure a proper release across the United States; the film made little money, and was promoted only at the last minute, as a second feature to the Western movie Bandido! (1956). Several contemporary critics lauded the film, with a reviewer for Time comparing its camerawork to that of Orson Welles. Today, critics generally consider The Killing to be among the best films of Kubrick's early career; its nonlinear narrative and clinical execution also had a major influence on later directors of crime films, including Quentin Tarantino. Dore Schary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was highly impressed as well, and offered Kubrick and Harris $75,000 to write, direct, and produce a film, which ultimately became Paths of Glory (1957).
Paths of Glory, set during World War I, is based on Humphrey Cobb's 1935 antiwar novel. Schary was familiar with the novel, but stated that MGM would not finance another war picture, given their backing of the anti-war film The Red Badge of Courage (1951). After Schary was fired by MGM in a major shake-up, Kubrick and Harris managed to interest Kirk Douglas in playing Colonel Dax. Douglas, in turn, signed Harris-Kubrick Pictures to a three-picture co-production deal with his film production company, Bryna Productions, which secured a financing and distribution deal for Paths of Glory and two subsequent films with United Artists. The film, shot in Munich, from March 1957, follows a French army unit ordered on an impossible mission, and follows with a war trial of three soldiers, arbitrarily chosen, for misconduct. Dax is assigned to defend the men at Court Martial. For the battle scene, Kubrick meticulously lined up six cameras one after the other along the boundary of no-man's land, with each camera capturing a specific field and numbered, and gave each of the hundreds of extras a number for the zone in which they would die. Kubrick operated an Arriflex camera for the battle, zooming in on Douglas. Paths of Glory became Kubrick's first significant commercial success, and established him as an up-and-coming young filmmaker. Critics praised the film's unsentimental, spare, and unvarnished combat scenes and its raw, black-and-white cinematography. Despite the praise, the Christmas release date was criticized, and the subject was controversial in Europe. The film was banned in France until 1974 for its "unflattering" depiction of the French military, and was censored by the Swiss Army until 1970.
In October 1957, after Paths of Glory had its world premiere in Germany, Bryna Productions optioned Canadian church minister-turned-master-safecracker Herbert Emerson Wilsons's autobiography, I Stole $16,000,000, especially for Stanley Kubrick and James B. Harris. The picture was to be the second in the co-production deal between Bryna Productions and Harris-Kubrick Pictures, which Kubrick was to write and direct, Harris to co-produce and Douglas to co-produce and star. In November 1957, Gavin Lambert was signed as story editor for I Stole $16,000,000, and with Kubrick, finished a script titled God Fearing Man, but the picture was never filmed.
Marlon Brando contacted Kubrick, asking him to direct a film adaptation of the Charles Neider western novel, The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones, featuring Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Brando was impressed, saying "Stanley is unusually perceptive, and delicately attuned to people. He has an adroit intellect, and is a creative thinker—not a repeater, not a fact-gatherer. He digests what he learns and brings to a new project an original point of view and a reserved passion". The two worked on a script for six months, begun by a then unknown Sam Peckinpah. Many disputes broke out over the project, and in the end, Kubrick distanced himself from what would become One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
In February 1959, Kubrick received a phone call from Kirk Douglas asking him to direct Spartacus (1960), based on the historical Spartacus and the Third Servile War. Douglas had acquired the rights to the novel by Howard Fast and blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo began penning the script. It was produced by Douglas, who also starred as Spartacus, and cast Laurence Olivier as his foe, the Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus. Douglas hired Kubrick for a reported $150,000 fee to take over direction soon after he fired director Anthony Mann. Kubrick had, at 31, already directed four feature films, and this became his largest by far, with a cast of over 10,000 and a budget of $6 million. At the time, this was the most expensive film ever made in America, and Kubrick became the youngest director in Hollywood history to make an epic. It was the first time that Kubrick filmed using the anamorphic 35mm horizontal Super Technirama process to achieve ultra-high definition, which allowed him to capture large panoramic scenes, including one with 8,000 trained soldiers from Spain representing the Roman army.
Disputes broke out during the filming of Spartacus. Kubrick complained about not having full creative control over the artistic aspects, insisting on improvising extensively during the production. Kubrick and Douglas were also at odds over the script, with Kubrick angering Douglas when he cut all but two of his lines from the opening 30 minutes. Despite the on-set troubles, Spartacus took $14.6 million at the box office in its first run. The film established Kubrick as a major director, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning four; it ultimately convinced him that if so much could be made of such a problematic production, he could achieve anything. Spartacus also marked the end of the working relationship between Kubrick and Douglas.
Collaboration with Peter Sellers (1962–1964)
Lolita
Kubrick and Harris decided to film Kubrick's next movie Lolita (1962) in England, due to clauses placed on the contract by producers Warner Bros. that gave them complete control over the film, and the fact that the Eady plan permitted producers to write off the costs if 80% of the crew were British. Instead, they signed a $1 million deal with Eliot Hyman's Associated Artists Productions, and a clause which gave them the artistic freedom that they desired. Lolita, Kubrick's first attempt at black comedy, was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, the story of a middle-aged college professor becoming infatuated with a 12-year-old girl. Stylistically, Lolita, starring Peter Sellers, James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Sue Lyon, was a transitional film for Kubrick, "marking the turning point from a naturalistic cinema ... to the surrealism of the later films", according to film critic Gene Youngblood. Kubrick was impressed by the range of actor Peter Sellers and gave him one of his first opportunities to improvise wildly during shooting, while filming him with three cameras.
Kubrick shot Lolita over 88 days on a $2 million budget at Elstree Studios, between October 1960 and March 1961. Kubrick often clashed with Shelley Winters, whom he found "very difficult" and demanding, and nearly fired at one point. Because of its provocative story, Lolita was Kubrick's first film to generate controversy; he was ultimately forced to comply with censors and remove much of the erotic element of the relationship between Mason's Humbert and Lyon's Lolita which had been evident in Nabokov's novel. The film was not a major critical or commercial success, earning $3.7 million at the box office on its opening run. Lolita has since become critically acclaimed.
Dr. Strangelove
Kubrick's next project was Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), another satirical black comedy. Kubrick became preoccupied with the issue of nuclear war as the Cold War unfolded in the 1950s, and even considered moving to Australia because he feared that New York City might be a likely target for the Russians. He studied over 40 military and political research books on the subject and eventually reached the conclusion that "nobody really knew anything and the whole situation was absurd".
After buying the rights to the novel Red Alert, Kubrick collaborated with its author, Peter George, on the script. It was originally written as a serious political thriller, but Kubrick decided that a "serious treatment" of the subject would not be believable, and thought that some of its most salient points would be fodder for comedy. Kubrick's longtime producer-and-friend, James B. Harris, thought the film should be serious, and the two parted ways, amicably, over this disagreement—Harris going on to produce and direct the serious cold-war thriller The Bedford Incident. Kubrick and Red Alert author George then reworked the script as a satire (provisionally titled "The Delicate Balance of Terror") in which the plot of Red Alert was situated as a film-within-a-film made by an alien intelligence, but this idea was also abandoned, and Kubrick decided to make the film as "an outrageous black comedy".
Just before filming began, Kubrick hired noted journalist and satirical author Terry Southern to transform the script into its final form, a black comedy, loaded with sexual innuendo, becoming a film which showed Kubrick's talents as a "unique kind of absurdist" according to the film scholar Abrams. Southern made major contributions to the final script, and was co-credited (above Peter George) in the film's opening titles; his perceived role in the writing later led to a public rift between Kubrick and Peter George, who subsequently complained in a letter to Life magazine that Southern's intense but relatively brief (November 16 to December 28, 1962) involvement with the project was being given undue prominence in the media, while his own role as the author of the film's source novel, and his ten-month stint as the script's co-writer, were being downplayed – a perception Kubrick evidently did little to address.
Kubrick found that Dr. Strangelove, a $2 million production which employed what became the "first important visual effects crew in the world", would be impossible to make in the U.S. for various technical and political reasons, forcing him to move production to England. It was shot in 15 weeks, ending in April 1963, after which Kubrick spent eight months editing it. Peter Sellers again agreed to work with Kubrick, and ended up playing three different roles in the film.
Upon release, the film stirred up much controversy and mixed opinions. The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther worried that it was a "discredit and even contempt for our whole defense establishment ... the most shattering sick joke I've ever come across", while Robert Brustein of Out of This World in a February 1970 article called it a "juvenalian satire". Kubrick responded to the criticism, stating: "A satirist is someone who has a very skeptical view of human nature, but who still has the optimism to make some sort of a joke out of it. However brutal that joke might be". Today, the film is considered to be one of the sharpest comedy films ever made, and holds a near-perfect 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews . It was named the 39th-greatest American film and third-greatest American comedy film of all time by the American Film Institute, and in 2010, it was named the sixth-best comedy film of all time by The Guardian.
Ground-breaking cinema (1965–1971)
Kubrick spent five years developing his next film, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), having been highly impressed with science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End, about a superior alien race who assist mankind in eliminating their old selves. After meeting Clarke in New York City in April 1964, Kubrick made the suggestion to work on his 1948 short story The Sentinel, in which a monolith found on the Moon alerts aliens of mankind. That year, Clarke began writing the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and collaborated with Kubrick on a screenplay. The film's theme, the birthing of one intelligence by another, is developed in two parallel intersecting stories on two different time scales. One depicts evolutionary transitions between various stages of man, from ape to "star child", as man is reborn into a new existence, each step shepherded by an enigmatic alien intelligence seen only in its artifacts: a series of seemingly indestructible eons-old black monoliths. In space, the enemy is a supercomputer known as HAL who runs the spaceship, a character which novelist Clancy Sigal described as being "far, far more human, more humorous and conceivably decent than anything else that may emerge from this far-seeing enterprise".
Kubrick intensively researched for the film, paying particular attention to accuracy and detail in what the future might look like. He was granted permission by NASA to observe the spacecraft being used in the Ranger 9 mission for accuracy. Filming commenced on December 29, 1965, with the excavation of the monolith on the moon, and footage was shot in Namib Desert in early 1967, with the ape scenes completed later that year. The special effects team continued working until the end of the year to complete the film, taking the cost to $10.5 million. 2001: A Space Odyssey was conceived as a Cinerama spectacle and was photographed in Super Panavision 70, giving the viewer a "dazzling mix of imagination and science" through ground-breaking effects, which earned Kubrick his only personal Oscar, an Academy Award for Visual Effects. Kubrick said of the concept of the film in an interview with Rolling Stone: "On the deepest psychological level, the film's plot symbolized the search for God, and finally postulates what is little less than a scientific definition of God. The film revolves around this metaphysical conception, and the realistic hardware and the documentary feelings about everything were necessary in order to undermine your built-in resistance to the poetical concept".
Upon release in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was not an immediate hit among critics, who faulted its lack of dialog, slow pacing, and seemingly impenetrable storyline. The film appeared to defy genre convention, much unlike any science-fiction movie before it, and clearly different from any of Kubrick's earlier works. Kubrick was particularly outraged by a scathing review from Pauline Kael, who called it "the biggest amateur movie of them all", with Kubrick doing "really every dumb thing he ever wanted to do". Despite mixed contemporary critical reviews, 2001 gradually gained popularity and earned $31 million worldwide by the end of 1972. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and is a staple on All Time Top 10 lists. Baxter describes the film as "one of the most admired and discussed creations in the history of cinema", and Steven Spielberg has referred to it as "the big bang of his film making generation". For biographer Vincent LoBrutto it "positioned Stanley Kubrick as a pure artist ranked among the masters of cinema".
After completing 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick searched for a project that he could film quickly on a more modest budget. He settled on A Clockwork Orange (1971) at the end of 1969, an exploration of violence and experimental rehabilitation by law enforcement authorities, based around the character of Alex (portrayed by Malcolm McDowell). Kubrick had received a copy of Anthony Burgess's novel of the same name from Terry Southern while they were working on Dr. Strangelove, but had rejected it on the grounds that Nadsat, a street language for young teenagers, was too difficult to comprehend. The decision to make a film about the degeneration of youth reflected contemporary concerns in 1969; the New Hollywood movement was creating a great number of films that depicted the sexuality and rebelliousness of young people. A Clockwork Orange was shot over 1970–1971 on a budget of £2 million. Kubrick abandoned his use of CinemaScope in filming, deciding that the 1.66:1 widescreen format was, in the words of Baxter, an "acceptable compromise between spectacle and intimacy", and favored his "rigorously symmetrical framing", which "increased the beauty of his compositions". The film heavily features "pop erotica" of the period, including a giant white plastic set of male genitals, decor which Kubrick had intended to give it a "slightly futuristic" look. McDowell's role in Lindsay Anderson's if.... (1968) was crucial to his casting as Alex, and Kubrick professed that he probably would not have made the film if McDowell had been unavailable.
Because of its depiction of teenage violence, A Clockwork Orange became one of the most controversial films of its time, and part of an ongoing debate about violence and its glorification in cinema. It received an X rating, or certificate, in both the UK and US, on its release just before Christmas 1971, though many critics saw much of the violence depicted in the film as satirical, and less violent than Straw Dogs, which had been released a month earlier. Kubrick personally pulled the film from release in the United Kingdom after receiving death threats following a series of copycat crimes based on the film; it was thus completely unavailable legally in the UK until after Kubrick's death, and not re-released until 2000. John Trevelyan, the censor of the film, personally considered A Clockwork Orange to be "perhaps the most brilliant piece of cinematic art I've ever seen," and believed it to present an "intellectual argument rather than a sadistic spectacle" in its depiction of violence, but acknowledged that many would not agree. Negative media hype over the film notwithstanding, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing, and was named by the New York Film Critics Circle as the Best Film of 1971. After William Friedkin won Best Director for The French Connection that year, he told the press: "Speaking personally, I think Stanley Kubrick is the best American film-maker of the year. In fact, not just this year, but the best, period."
Period and horror filming (1972–1980)
Barry Lyndon (1975) is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's The Luck of Barry Lyndon, a picaresque novel about the adventures of an 18th-century Irish rogue and social climber. John Calley of Warner Bros. agreed in 1972 to invest $2.5 million into the film, on condition that Kubrick approach major Hollywood stars, to ensure success. Like previous films, Kubrick and his art department conducted an enormous amount of research on the 18th century. Extensive photographs were taken of locations and artwork in particular, and paintings were meticulously replicated from works of the great masters of the period in the film. The film was shot on location in Ireland, beginning in the autumn of 1973, at a cost of $11 million with a cast and crew of 170. The decision to shoot in Ireland stemmed from the fact that it still retained many buildings from the 18th century period which England lacked. The production was problematic from the start, plagued with heavy rain and political strife involving Northern Ireland at the time. After Kubrick received death threats from the IRA in 1974 due to the shooting scenes with English soldiers, he fled Ireland with his family on a ferry from Dún Laoghaire under an assumed identity and resumed filming in England.
Baxter notes that Barry Lyndon was the film which made Kubrick notorious for paying scrupulous attention to detail, often demanding twenty or thirty retakes of the same scene to perfect his art. Often considered to be his most authentic-looking picture, the cinematography and lighting techniques that Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott used in Barry Lyndon were highly innovative. Interior scenes were shot with a specially adapted high-speed f/0.7 Zeiss camera lens originally developed for NASA to be used in satellite photography. The lenses allowed many scenes to be lit only with candlelight, creating two-dimensional, diffused-light images reminiscent of 18th-century paintings. Cinematographer Allen Daviau states that the method gives the audience a way of seeing the characters and scenes as they would have been seen by people at the time. Many of the fight scenes were shot with a hand-held camera to produce a "sense of documentary realism and immediacy".
Barry Lyndon found a great audience in France, but was a box office failure, grossing just $9.5 million in the American market, not even close to the $30 million Warner Bros. needed to generate a profit. The pace and length of Barry Lyndon at three hours put off many American critics and audiences, but the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score, more than any other Kubrick film. As with most of Kubrick's films, Barry Lyndon'''s reputation has grown through the years and it is now considered to be one of his best, particularly among filmmakers and critics. Numerous polls, such as The Village Voice (1999), Sight & Sound (2002), and Time (2005), have rated it as one of the greatest films ever made. , it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews. Roger Ebert referred to it as "one of the most beautiful films ever made ... certainly in every frame a Kubrick film: technically awesome, emotionally distant, remorseless in its doubt of human goodness".The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of an isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick gave his actors freedom to extend the script and even improvise on occasion, and as a result, Nicholson was responsible for the 'Here's Johnny!' line and the scene in which he's sitting at the typewriter and unleashes his anger upon his wife. Kubrick often demanded up to 70 or 80 retakes of the same scene. Duvall, whom Kubrick intentionally isolated and argued with, was forced to perform the exhausting baseball bat scene 127 times. The bar scene with the ghostly bartender was shot 36 times, while the kitchen scene between the characters of Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Halloran (Scatman Crothers) ran to 148 takes. The aerial shots of the Overlook Hotel were shot at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, while the interiors of the hotel were shot at Elstree Studios in England between May 1978 and April 1979. Cardboard models were made of all of the sets of the film, and the lighting of them was a massive undertaking, which took four months of electrical wiring. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to use its full potential. The Shining was not the only horror film to which Kubrick had been linked; he had turned down the directing of both The Exorcist (1973) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), despite once saying in 1966 to a friend that he had long desired to "make the world's scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience".
Five days after release on May 23, 1980, Kubrick ordered the deletion of a final scene, in which the hotel manager Ullman (Barry Nelson) visits Wendy (Shelley Duvall) in hospital, believing it unnecessary after witnessing the audience excitement in cinemas at the film's climax. The Shining opened to strong box office takings, earning $1 million on the first weekend and earning $30.9 million in America by the end of the year. The original critical response was mixed, and King detested the film and disliked Kubrick. The Shining is now considered to be a horror classic, and the American Film Institute has ranked it as the 27th greatest thriller film of all time.
Later work and final years (1981–1999)
Kubrick met author Michael Herr through mutual friend David Cornwell (novelist John le Carré) in 1980, and became interested in his book Dispatches, about the Vietnam War. Herr had recently written Martin Sheen's narration for Apocalypse Now (1979). Kubrick was also intrigued by Gustav Hasford's Vietnam War novel The Short-Timers. With the vision in mind to shoot what would become Full Metal Jacket (1987), Kubrick began working with both Herr and Hasford separately on a script. He eventually found Hasford's novel to be "brutally honest" and decided to shoot a film which closely follows the novel. All of the film was shot at a cost of $17 million within a 30-mile radius of his house between August 1985 and September 1986, later than scheduled as Kubrick shut down production for five months following a near-fatal accident with a jeep involving Lee Ermey. A derelict gasworks in Beckton in the London Docklands area posed as the ruined city of Huế, which makes the film visually very different from other Vietnam War films. Around 200 palm trees were imported via 40-foot trailers by road from North Africa, at a cost of £1000 a tree, and thousands of plastic plants were ordered from Hong Kong to provide foliage for the film. Kubrick explained he made the film look realistic by using natural light, and achieved a "newsreel effect" by making the Steadicam shots less steady, which reviewers and commentators thought contributed to the bleakness and seriousness of the film.
According to critic Michel Ciment, the film contained some of Kubrick's trademark characteristics, such as his selection of ironic music, portrayals of men being dehumanized, and attention to extreme detail to achieve realism. In a later scene, United States Marines patrol the ruins of an abandoned and destroyed city singing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club as a sardonic counterpoint. The film opened strongly in June 1987, taking over $30 million in the first 50 days alone, but critically it was overshadowed by the success of Oliver Stone's Platoon, released a year earlier. Co-star Matthew Modine stated one of Kubrick's favorite reviews read: "The first half of FMJ is brilliant. Then the film degenerates into a masterpiece." Roger Ebert was not particularly impressed with it, awarding it a mediocre 2.5 out of 4. He concluded: "Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is more like a book of short stories than a novel", a "strangely shapeless film from the man whose work usually imposes a ferociously consistent vision on his material".
Kubrick's final film was Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a Manhattan couple on a sexual odyssey. Tom Cruise portrays a doctor who witnesses a bizarre masked quasireligious orgiastic ritual at a country mansion, a discovery which later threatens his life. The story is based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 Freudian novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story in English), which Kubrick relocated from turn-of-the-century Vienna to New York City in the 1990s. Kubrick said of the novel: "A difficult book to describe—what good book isn't. It explores the sexual ambivalence of a happy marriage and tries to equate the importance of sexual dreams and might-have-beens with reality. All of Schnitzler's work is psychologically brilliant". Kubrick was almost 70, but worked relentlessly for 15 months to get the film out by its planned release date of July 16, 1999. He commenced a script with Frederic Raphael, and worked 18 hours a day, while maintaining complete confidentiality about the film.Eyes Wide Shut, like Lolita and A Clockwork Orange before it, faced censorship before release. Kubrick sent an unfinished preview copy to the stars and producers a few months before release, but his sudden death on March 7, 1999, came a few days after he finished editing. He never saw the final version released to the public, but he did see the preview of the film with Warner Bros., Cruise, and Kidman, and had reportedly told Warner executive Julian Senior that it was his "best film ever". At the time, critical opinion of the film was mixed, and it was viewed less favorably than most of Kubrick's films. Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, comparing the structure to a thriller and writing that it is "like an erotic daydream about chances missed and opportunities avoided", and thought that Kubrick's use of lighting at Christmas made the film "all a little garish, like an urban sideshow". Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post disliked the film, writing that it "is actually sad, rather than bad. It feels creaky, ancient, hopelessly out of touch, infatuated with the hot taboos of his youth and unable to connect with that twisty thing contemporary sexuality has become."
Unfinished and unrealized projects
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Kubrick collaborated with Brian Aldiss on expanding his short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" into a three-act film. It was a futuristic fairy tale about a robot that resembles and behaves as a child, and his efforts to become a 'real boy' in a manner similar to Pinocchio. Kubrick approached Spielberg in 1995 with the AI script with the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing it and Kubrick producing it. Kubrick reportedly held long telephone discussions with Spielberg regarding the film, and, according to Spielberg, at one point stated that the subject matter was closer to Spielberg's sensibilities than his.
Following Kubrick's 1999 death, Spielberg took the drafts and notes left by Kubrick and his writers and composed a new screenplay based on an earlier 90-page story treatment by Ian Watson written under Kubrick's supervision and specifications. In association with what remained of Kubrick's production unit, he directed the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) which was produced by Kubrick's longtime producer (and brother-in-law) Jan Harlan. Sets, costumes, and art direction were based on the works of conceptual artist Chris Baker, who had also done much of his work under Kubrick's supervision.
Spielberg was able to function autonomously in Kubrick's absence, but said he felt "inhibited to honor him", and followed Kubrick's visual schema with as much fidelity as he could. Spielberg, who once referred to Kubrick as "the greatest master I ever served", now with production underway, admitted, "I felt like I was being coached by a ghost." The film was released in June 2001. It contains a posthumous production credit for Stanley Kubrick at the beginning and the brief dedication "For Stanley Kubrick" at the end. John Williams's score contains many allusions to pieces heard in other Kubrick films.
Napoleon
Following 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick planned to make a film about the life of Napoleon. Fascinated by the French leader's life and "self-destruction", Kubrick spent a great deal of time planning the film's development and conducted about two years of research into Napoleon's life, reading several hundred books and gaining access to his personal memoirs and commentaries. He tried to see every film about Napoleon and found none of them appealing, including Abel Gance's 1927 film which is generally considered to be a masterpiece, but for Kubrick, a "really terrible" movie. LoBrutto states that Napoleon was an ideal subject for Kubrick, embracing Kubrick's "passion for control, power, obsession, strategy, and the military", while Napoleon's psychological intensity and depth, logistical genius and war, sex, and the evil nature of man were all ingredients which deeply appealed to Kubrick.
Kubrick drafted a screenplay in 1961, and envisaged making a "grandiose" epic, with up to 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. He intended hiring the armed forces of an entire country to make the film, as he considered Napoleonic battles to be "so beautiful, like vast lethal ballets", with an "aesthetic brilliance that doesn't require a military mind to appreciate". He wanted them replicated as authentically as possible on screen. Kubrick sent research teams to scout for locations across Europe, and commissioned screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, one of his young assistants on 2001, to the Isle of Elba, Austerlitz, and Waterloo, taking thousands of pictures for his later perusal. Kubrick approached numerous stars to play leading roles, including Audrey Hepburn for Empress Josephine, a part which she could not accept due to semiretirement.
British actors David Hemmings and Ian Holm were considered for the lead role of Napoleon, before Jack Nicholson was cast. The film was well into preproduction and ready to begin filming in 1969 when MGM cancelled the project. Numerous reasons have been cited for the abandonment of the project, including its projected cost, a change of ownership at MGM, and the poor reception that the 1970 Soviet film about Napoleon, Waterloo, received. In 2011, Taschen published the book Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made, a large volume compilation of literature and source documents from Kubrick, such as scene photo ideas and copies of letters Kubrick wrote and received. In March 2013, Steven Spielberg, who previously collaborated with Kubrick on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and is a passionate admirer of his work, announced that he would be developing Napoleon as a TV miniseries based on Kubrick's original screenplay.
Other projects
In the 1950s, Kubrick and Harris developed a sitcom starring Ernie Kovacs and a film adaption of the book I Stole $16,000,000, but nothing came of them. Tony Frewin, an assistant who worked with the director for a long period of time, revealed in a 2013 Atlantic article: "[Kubrick] was limitlessly interested in anything to do with Nazis and desperately wanted to make a film on the subject." Kubrick had intended to make a film about , a Nazi officer who used the pen name "Dr. Jazz" to write reviews of German music scenes during the Nazi era. Kubrick had been given a copy of the Mike Zwerin book Swing Under the Nazis after he had finished production on Full Metal Jacket, the front cover of which featured a photograph of Schulz-Köhn. A screenplay was never completed and Kubrick's adaptation was never initiated. The unfinished Aryan Papers, based on Louis Begley's debut novel Wartime Lies, was a factor in the abandonment of the project. Work on Aryan Papers depressed Kubrick enormously, and he eventually decided that Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) covered much of the same material.
According to biographer John Baxter, Kubrick had shown an interest in directing a pornographic film based on a satirical novel written by Terry Southern, titled Blue Movie, about a director who makes Hollywood's first big-budget porn film. Baxter claims that Kubrick concluded he did not have the patience or temperament to become involved in the porn industry, and Southern stated that Kubrick was "too ultra conservative" towards sexuality to have gone ahead with it, but liked the idea. Kubrick was unable to direct a film of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum as Eco had given his publisher instructions to never sell the film rights to any of his books after his dissatisfaction with the film version of The Name of the Rose. Also, when the film rights to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings were sold to United Artists, the Beatles approached Kubrick to direct them in a film adaptation, but Kubrick was unwilling to produce a film based on a very popular book.
Career influences
As a young man, Kubrick was fascinated by the films of Soviet filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Kubrick read Pudovkin's seminal theoretical work, Film Technique, which argues that editing makes film a unique art form, and it needs to be employed to manipulate the medium to its fullest. Kubrick recommended this work to others for many years. Thomas Nelson describes this book as "the greatest influence of any single written work on the evolution of [Kubrick's] private aesthetics". Kubrick also found the ideas of Konstantin Stanislavski to be essential to his understanding the basics of directing, and gave himself a crash course to learn his methods.
Kubrick's family and many critics felt that his Jewish ancestry may have contributed to his worldview and aspects of his films. After his death, both his daughter and wife stated that he was not religious, but "did not deny his Jewishness, not at all". His daughter noted that he wanted to make a film about the Holocaust, the Aryan Papers, having spent years researching the subject. Most of Kubrick's friends and early photography and film collaborators were Jewish, and his first two marriages were to daughters of recent Jewish immigrants from Europe. British screenwriter Frederic Raphael, who worked closely with Kubrick in his final years, believes that the originality of Kubrick's films was partly because he "had a (Jewish?) respect for scholars". He declared that it was "absurd to try to understand Stanley Kubrick without reckoning on Jewishness as a fundamental aspect of his mentality".
Walker notes that Kubrick was influenced by the tracking and "fluid camera" styles of director Max Ophüls, and used them in many of his films, including Paths of Glory and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick noted how in Ophuls' films "the camera went through every wall and every floor". He once named Ophüls' Le Plaisir (1952) as his favorite film. According to film historian John Wakeman, Ophüls himself learned the technique from director Anatole Litvak in the 1930s, when he was his assistant, and whose work was "replete with the camera trackings, pans and swoops which later became the trademark of Max Ophüls". Geoffrey Cocks believes that Kubrick was also influenced by Ophüls' stories of thwarted love and a preoccupation with predatory men, while Herr notes that Kubrick was deeply inspired by G. W. Pabst, who earlier tried, but was unable to adapt Schnitzler's Traumnovelle, the basis of Eyes Wide Shut. Film critic Robert Kolker sees the influence of Welles' moving camera shots on Kubrick's style. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick identified with Welles and that this influenced the making of The Killing, with its "multiple points of view, extreme angles, and deep focus".
Kubrick admired the work of Ingmar Bergman and expressed it in personal letter: "Your vision of life has moved me deeply, much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. I believe you are the greatest film-maker at work today [...], unsurpassed by anyone in the creation of mood and atmosphere, the subtlety of performance, the avoidance of the obvious, the truthfulness and completeness of characterization. To this one must also add everything else that goes into the making of a film; [...] and I shall look forward with eagerness to each of your films."
When the American magazine Cinema asked Kubrick in 1963 to name his favorite films, he listed Italian director Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni as number one in his Top 10 list.
Directing techniques
Philosophy
Kubrick's films typically involve expressions of an inner struggle, examined from different perspectives.
He was very careful not to present his own views of the meaning of his films and to leave them open to interpretation. He explained in a 1960 interview with Robert Emmett Ginna:
"One of the things I always find extremely difficult, when a picture's finished, is when a writer or a film reviewer asks, 'Now, what is it that you were trying to say in that picture?' And without being thought too presumptuous for using this analogy, I like to remember what T. S. Eliot said to someone who had asked him—I believe it was The Waste Land—what he meant by the poem. He replied, 'I meant what I said.' If I could have said it any differently, I would have".
Kubrick likened the understanding of his films to popular music, in that whatever the background or intellect of the individual, a Beatles record, for instance, can be appreciated both by the Alabama truck driver and the young Cambridge intellectual, because their "emotions and subconscious are far more similar than their intellects". He believed that the subconscious emotional reaction experienced by audiences was far more powerful in the film medium than in any other traditional verbal form, and was one of the reasons why he often relied on long periods in his films without dialogue, placing emphasis on images and sound. In a 1975 Time magazine interview, Kubrick further stated: "The essence of a dramatic form is to let an idea come over people without it being plainly stated. When you say something directly, it is simply not as potent as it is when you allow people to discover it for themselves." He also said: "Realism is probably the best way to dramatize argument and ideas. Fantasy may deal best with themes which lie primarily in the unconscious".
Diane Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Shining with Kubrick, notes that he "always said that it was better to adapt a book rather than write an original screenplay, and that you should choose a work that isn't a masterpiece so you can improve on it. Which is what he's always done, except with Lolita". When deciding on a subject for a film, there were many aspects that he looked for, and he always made films which would "appeal to every sort of viewer, whatever their expectation of film". According to his co-producer Jan Harlan, Kubrick mostly "wanted to make films about things that mattered, that not only had form, but substance". Kubrick believed that audiences quite often were attracted to "enigmas and allegories" and did not like films in which everything was spelled out clearly.
Sexuality in Kubrick's films is usually depicted outside matrimonial relationships in hostile situations. Baxter states that Kubrick explores the "furtive and violent side alleys of the sexual experience: voyeurism, domination, bondage and rape" in his films. He further points out that films like A Clockwork Orange are "powerfully homoerotic", from Alex walking about his parents' flat in his Y-fronts, one eye being "made up with doll-like false eyelashes", to his innocent acceptance of the sexual advances of his post-corrective adviser Deltroid (Aubrey Morris). British critic Adrian Turner notes that Kubrick's films appear to be "preoccupied with questions of universal and inherited evil", and Malcolm McDowell referred to his humor as "black as coal", questioning his outlook on humanity. A few of his pictures were obvious satires and black comedies, such as Lolita and Dr. Strangelove; many of his other films also contained less visible elements of satire or irony. His films are unpredictable, examining "the duality and contradictions that exist in all of us". Ciment notes how Kubrick often tried to confound audience expectations by establishing radically different moods from one film to the next, remarking that he was almost "obsessed with contradicting himself, with making each work a critique of the previous one".
Kubrick stated that "there is no deliberate pattern to the stories that I have chosen to make into films. About the only factor at work each time is that I try not to repeat myself". As a result, Kubrick was often misunderstood by critics, and only once did he have unanimously positive reviews upon the release of a film—for Paths of Glory.
Writing and staging scenes
Film author Patrick Webster considers Kubrick's methods of writing and developing scenes to fit with the classical auteur theory of directing, allowing collaboration and improvisation with the actors during filming. Malcolm McDowell recalled Kubrick's collaborative emphasis during their discussions and his willingness to allow him to improvise a scene, stating that "there was a script and we followed it, but when it didn't work he knew it, and we had to keep rehearsing endlessly until we were bored with it".
Once Kubrick was confident in the overall staging of a scene, and felt the actors were prepared, he would then develop the visual aspects, including camera and lighting placement. Walker believes that Kubrick was one of "very few film directors competent to instruct their lighting photographers in the precise effect they want". Baxter believes that Kubrick was heavily influenced by his ancestry and always possessed a European perspective to filmmaking, particularly the Austro-Hungarian empire and his admiration for Max Ophuls and Richard Strauss.
Gilbert Adair, writing in a review for Full Metal Jacket, commented that "Kubrick's approach to language has always been of a reductive and uncompromisingly deterministic nature. He appears to view it as the exclusive product of environmental conditioning, only very marginally influenced by concepts of subjectivity and interiority, by all whims, shades and modulations of personal expression". Johnson notes that although Kubrick was a "visual filmmaker", he also loved words and was like a writer in his approach, very sensitive to the story itself, which he found unique. Before shooting began, Kubrick tried to have the script as complete as possible, but still allowed himself enough space to make changes during the filming, finding it "more profitable to avoid locking up any ideas about staging or camera or even dialogue prior to rehearsals" as he put it. Kubrick told Robert Emmett Ginna: "I think you have to view the entire problem of putting the story you want to tell up there on that light square. It begins with the selection of the property; it continues through the creation of the story, the sets, the costumes, the photography and the acting. And when the picture is shot, it's only partially finished. I think the cutting is just a continuation of directing a movie. I think the use of music effects, opticals and finally main titles are all part of telling the story. And I think the fragmentation of these jobs, by different people, is a very bad thing". Kubrick also said: "I think that the best plot is no apparent plot. I like a slow start, the start that gets under the audience's skin and involves them so that they can appreciate grace notes and soft tones and don't have to be pounded over the head with plot points and suspense tools."
Directing
Kubrick was notorious for demanding multiple takes during filming to perfect his art, and his relentless approach was often extremely demanding for his actors. Jack Nicholson remarked that Kubrick would often demand up to fifty takes of a scene. Nicole Kidman explains that the large number of takes he often required stopped actors from consciously thinking about technique, thereby helping them enter a "deeper place". Kubrick's high take ratio was considered by some critics as "irrational"; he firmly believed that actors were at their best during the filming, as opposed to rehearsals, due to the sense of intense excitement that it generates. Kubrick explained: "Actors are essentially emotion-producing instruments, and some are always tuned and ready while others will reach a fantastic pitch on one take and never equal it again, no matter how hard they try" ...
"When you make a movie, it takes a few days just to get used to the crew, because it is like getting undressed in front of fifty people. Once you're accustomed to them, the presence of even one other person on set is discordant and tends to produce self-consciousness in the actors, and certainly in itself". He also told biographer Michel Ciment: "It's invariably because the actors don't know their lines, or don't know them well enough. An actor can only do one thing at a time, and when he learned his lines only well enough to say them while he's thinking about them, he will always have trouble as soon as he has to work on the emotions of the scene or find camera marks. In a strong emotional scene, it is always best to be able to shoot in complete takes to allow the actor a continuity of emotion, and it is rare for most actors to reach their peak more than once or twice. There are, occasionally, scenes which benefit from extra takes, but even then, I'm not sure that the early takes aren't just glorified rehearsals with the adding adrenaline of film running through the camera."
Kubrick would devote his personal breaks to having lengthy discussions with actors. Among those who valued his attention was Tony Curtis, star of Spartacus, who said Kubrick was his favorite director, adding, "his greatest effectiveness was his one-on-one relationship with actors." He further added, "Kubrick had his own approach to film-making. He wanted to see the actor's faces. He didn't want cameras always in a wide shot twenty-five feet away, he wanted close-ups, he wanted to keep the camera moving. That was his style." Similarly, Malcolm McDowell recalls the long discussions he had with Kubrick to help him develop his character in A Clockwork Orange, noting that on set he felt entirely uninhibited and free, which is what made Kubrick "such a great director". Kubrick also allowed actors at times to improvise and to "break the rules", particularly with Peter Sellers in Lolita, which became a turning point in his career as it allowed him to work creatively during the shooting, as opposed to the preproduction stage.
During an interview, Ryan O'Neal recalled Kubrick's directing style: "God, he works you hard. He moves you, pushes you, helps you, gets cross with you, but above all he teaches you the value of a good director. Stanley brought out aspects of my personality and acting instincts that had been dormant ... My strong suspicion [was] that I was involved in something great". He further added that working with Kubrick was "a stunning experience" and that he never recovered from working with somebody of such magnificence.
Cinematography
Kubrick credited the ease with which he filmed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius".
Among Kubrick's innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible.
Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world.
Editing and music
Kubrick spent extensive hours editing, often working seven days a week, and more hours a day as he got closer to deadlines. For Kubrick, written dialogue was one element to be put in balance with mise en scène (set arrangements), music, and especially, editing. Inspired by Pudovkin's treatise on film editing, Kubrick realized that one could create a performance in the editing room and often "re-direct" a film, and he remarked: "I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of filmmaking ... Editing is the only unique aspect of filmmaking which does not resemble any other art form—a point so important it cannot be overstressed ... It can make or break a film". Biographer John Baxter stated that "Instead of finding the intellectual spine of a film in the script before starting work, Kubrick felt his way towards the final version of a film by shooting each scene from many angles and demanding scores of takes on each line. Then over months ... he arranged and rearranged the tens of thousands of scraps of film to fit a vision that really only began to emerge during editing".
Kubrick's attention to music was an aspect of what many referred to as his "perfectionism" and extreme attention to minute details, which his wife Christiane attributed to an addiction to music. In his last six films, Kubrick usually chose music from existing sources, especially classical compositions. He preferred selecting recorded music over having it composed for a film, believing that no hired composer could do as well as the public domain classical composers. He also felt that building scenes from great music often created the "most memorable scenes" in the best films. In one instance, for a scene in Barry Lyndon which was written into the screenplay as merely, "Barry duels with Lord Bullingdon", he spent forty-two working days in the editing phase. During that period, he listened to what LoBrutto describes as "every available recording of seventeenth-and eighteenth- century music, acquiring thousands of records to find Handel's sarabande used to score the scene". Nicholson likewise observed his attention to music, stating that Kubrick "listened constantly to music until he discovered something he felt was right or that excited him".
Kubrick is credited with introducing Hungarian composer György Ligeti to a broad Western audience by including his music in 2001, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. According to Baxter, the music in 2001 was "at the forefront of Kubrick's mind" when he conceived the film. During earlier screening he played music by Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams, and Kubrick and writer Clarke had listened to Carl Orff's transcription of Carmina Burana, consisting of 13th century sacred and secular songs. Ligeti's music employed the new style of micropolyphony, which used sustained dissonant chords that shift slowly over time, a style he originated. Its inclusion in the film became a "boon for the relatively unknown composer" partly because it was introduced alongside background by Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss.
In addition to Ligeti, Kubrick enjoyed a collaboration with composer Wendy Carlos, whose 1968 album Switched-On Bach—which re-interpreted baroque music through the use of a Moog synthesizer—caught his attention. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange. Additional music not used in the film was released in 1972 as Wendy Carlos's Clockwork Orange. Kubrick later collaborated with Carlos on The Shining (1980). The opening of the film employs Carlos' rendering of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.
Personal life
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz, a caricaturist, on May 29, 1948, when he was 19 years old. The couple lived together in Greenwich Village and divorced three years later in 1951. He met his second wife, the Austrian-born dancer and theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka, in 1952. They lived together in New York City's East Village beginning in 1952, married in January 1955 and moved to Hollywood in July 1955, where she played a brief part as a ballet dancer in Kubrick's film, Killer's Kiss (1955). The following year, she was art director for his film, The Killing (1956). They divorced in 1957.
During the production of Paths of Glory in Munich in early 1957, Kubrick met and romanced the German actress Christiane Harlan, who played a small though memorable role in the film. Kubrick married Harlan in 1958 and the couple remained together for 40 years, until his death in 1999. Besides his stepdaughter, they had two daughters together: Anya Renata (April 6, 1959 – July 7, 2009) and Vivian Vanessa (born August 5, 1960). In 1959, they settled into a home at 316 South Camden Drive in Beverly Hills with Harlan's daughter, Katherina, aged six. They also lived in New York City, during which time Christiane studied art at the Art Students League of New York, later becoming an independent artist. The couple moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to make Lolita, and Kubrick hired Peter Sellers to star in his next film, Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was unable to leave the UK, so Kubrick made Britain his permanent home thereafter. The move was quite convenient to Kubrick, since he shunned the Hollywood system and its publicity machine and he and Christiane had become alarmed with the increase in violence in New York City.
In 1965, the Kubricks bought Abbots Mead on Barnet Lane, just south-west of the Elstree/Borehamwood studio complex in England. Kubrick worked almost exclusively from this home for 14 years where, he researched, invented special effects techniques, designed ultra-low light lenses for specially modified cameras, pre-produced, edited, post-produced, advertised, distributed and carefully managed all aspects of four of his films. In 1978, Kubrick moved into Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, a mainly 18th-century stately home, which was once owned by a wealthy racehorse owner, about north of London and a 10-minute drive from his previous home at Abbotts Mead. His new home became a workplace for Kubrick and his wife, "a perfect family factory" as Christiane called it, and Kubrick converted the stables into extra production rooms besides ones within the home that he used for editing and storage.
A workaholic, Kubrick rarely took a vacation or left England during the forty years before his death. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's confined way of living and desire for privacy has led to spurious stories about his reclusiveness, similar to those of Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes and J. D. Salinger. Michael Herr, Kubrick's co-screenwriter on Full Metal Jacket, who knew him well, considers his "reclusiveness" to be myth: "[He] was in fact a complete failure as a recluse, unless you believe that a recluse is simply someone who seldom leaves his house. Stanley saw a lot of people ... he was one of the most gregarious men I ever knew and it didn't change anything that most of this conviviality went on over the phone." LoBrutto states that one of the reasons he acquired a reputation as a recluse was that he insisted in remaining near his home but the reason for this was that for Kubrick there were only three places on the planet he could make high quality films with the necessary technical expertise and equipment: Los Angeles, New York City or around London. He disliked living in Los Angeles and thought London a superior film production center to New York City.
As a person, Kubrick was described by Norman Lloyd as "a very dark, sort of a glowering type who was very serious". Marisa Berenson, who starred in Barry Lyndon, fondly recalled: "There was great tenderness in him and he was passionate about his work. What was striking was his enormous intelligence but he also had a great sense of humor. He was a very shy person and self-protective but he was filled with the thing that drove him twenty-four hours of the day." Kubrick was particularly fond of machines and technical equipment, to the point that his wife Christiane once stated that "Stanley would be happy with eight tape recorders and one pair of pants". Kubrick had obtained a pilot's license in August 1947 and some have claimed that he later developed a fear of flying, stemming from an incident in the early 1950s when a colleague was killed in a plane crash. Kubrick had been sent the charred remains of his camera and notebooks which, according to Duncan, traumatized him for life. Kubrick also had a strong mistrust of doctors and medicine.
Death
On March 7, 1999, six days after screening a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut for his family and the stars, Kubrick died in his sleep at the age of 70, suffering a heart attack. His funeral was held five days later at Childwickbury Manor, with only close friends and family in attendance, totaling about 100 people. The media were kept a mile away outside the entrance gate. Alexander Walker, who attended the funeral, described it as a "family farewell, ... almost like an English picnic", with cellists, clarinetists and singers providing song and music from many of his favorite classical compositions. Kaddish, the Jewish prayer typically said by mourners and in other contexts, was recited. A few of his obituaries mentioned his Jewish background. Among those who gave eulogies were Terry Semel, Jan Harlan, Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. He was buried next to his favorite tree on the estate. In her book dedicated to Kubrick, his wife Christiane included one of his favorite quotations of Oscar Wilde: "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old but that one is young."
Legacy
Cultural impact
Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, Kubrick's films are considered by film historian Michel Ciment to be "among the most important contributions to world cinema in the twentieth century", and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in the history of cinema. Leading directors, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, George Lucas, James Cameron, Terry Gilliam, the Coen brothers, Ridley Scott, and George A. Romero, have cited Kubrick as a source of inspiration, and additionally in the case of Spielberg and Scott, collaboration. On the DVD of Eyes Wide Shut, Steven Spielberg comments that the way Kubrick "tells a story is antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories" and that "nobody could shoot a picture better in history". Orson Welles, one of Kubrick's greatest personal influences and favorite directors, said that: "Among those whom I would call 'younger generation', Kubrick appears to me to be a giant."
Kubrick continues to be cited as a major influence by many directors, including Christopher Nolan, Todd Field, David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Tim Burton, Michael Mann, and Gaspar Noé. Many filmmakers imitate Kubrick's inventive and unique use of camera movement and framing, as well as his use of music, including Frank Darabont.
Artists in fields other than film have also expressed admiration for Kubrick. English musician and poet PJ Harvey, in an interview about her 2011 album Let England Shake, argued that "something about [...] what is not said in his films...there's so much space, so many things that are silent – and somehow, in that space and silence everything becomes clear. With every film, he seems to capture the essence of life itself, particularly in films like Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon...those are some of my favorites." The music video for Kanye West's 2010 song "Runaway" was inspired by Eyes Wide Shut. Pop singer Lady Gaga's concert shows have included the use of dialogue, costumes, and music from A Clockwork Orange.
Tributes
In 2000, BAFTA renamed their Britannia lifetime achievement award the "Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award", joining the likes of D. W. Griffith, Laurence Olivier, Cecil B. DeMille, and Irving Thalberg, all of whom have annual awards named after them. Kubrick won this award in 1999, and subsequent recipients have included George Lucas, Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Many people who worked with Kubrick on his films created the 2001 documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, produced and directed by Kubrick's brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, who had executive produced Kubrick's last four films.
The first public exhibition of material from Kubrick's personal archives was presented jointly in 2004 by the Deutsches Filmmuseum and Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Christiane Kubrick and Jan Harlan / The Stanley Kubrick Estate. In 2009, an exhibition of paintings and photos inspired by Kubrick's films was held in Dublin, Ireland, entitled "Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light". On October 30, 2012, an exhibition devoted to Kubrick opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and concluded in June 2013. Exhibits include a wide collection of documents, photographs and on-set material assembled from 800 boxes of personal archives that were stored in Kubrick's home-workplace in the UK. Many celebrities attended and spoke at the museum's pre-opening gala, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson, while Kubrick's widow, Christiane, appeared at the pre-gala press review. In October 2013, the Brazil São Paulo International Film Festival paid tribute to Kubrick, staging an exhibit of his work and a retrospective of his films. The exhibit opened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in late 2014 and ended in January 2015.
Kubrick is widely referenced in popular culture; for example, the TV series The Simpsons is said to contain more references to Kubrick films than any other pop culture phenomenon. When the Directors Guild of Great Britain gave Kubrick a lifetime achievement award, they included a cut-together sequence of all the homages from the show. Several works have been created that related to Kubrick's life, including the made-for-TV mockumentary Dark Side of the Moon (2002), which is a parody of the pervasive conspiracy theory that Kubrick had been involved with the faked footage of the NASA moon landings during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colour Me Kubrick (2005) was authorized by Kubrick's family and starred John Malkovich as Alan Conway, a con artist who had assumed Kubrick's identity in the 1990s. In the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Kubrick was portrayed by Stanley Tucci; the film documents the filming of Dr. Strangelove.
In April 2018, the month that marked the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the International Astronomical Union named the largest mountain of Pluto's moon Charon after Kubrick.
From October 2019 to March 2020, the Skirball Cultural Center hosted an exhibition called Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs, a show focusing on Kubrick's early career.
Accolades
See also
Filmworker, a documentary with Leon Vitali about his work with Kubrick
Hawk Films
Kubrick by Kubrick, a documentary directed by Gregory Monro and based on Michel Ciment's interviews
Stanley Kubrick Archive
Stanley Kubrick bibliography
Stanley Kubrick's Boxes Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures''
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Stanley Kubrick Collection
Stanley Kubrick at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
, movie clip compilation, 4 minutes
1928 births
1999 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
Jewish American atheists
American cinematographers
American emigrants to England
American film editors
American film producers
American male screenwriters
American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
Articles containing video clips
BAFTA fellows
Best Director BAFTA Award winners
Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners
Burials in Hertfordshire
City College of New York alumni
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
David di Donatello winners
Film directors from New York City
Filmmakers from New York (state)
Jewish American writers
People from the Bronx
People from the East Village, Manhattan
People from Greenwich Village
Photographers from New York City
Science fiction film directors
Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Special effects people
Writers from Manhattan
Writers Guild of America Award winners | true | [
"Wild Thing is a podcast about the relationship between science and society. It is hosted by Laura Krantz and produced by Foxtopus Ink. In 2006 Krantz learned that she was related to anthropologist Grover Krantz, who had spent much of his career writing about and hunting for Sasquatch, after she read an article in the Washington Post. At the time, Krantz was working at National Public Radio and thought that she needed to dig deeper. Through her reporting she came to understand that the search for Sasquatch spoke to important questions about human evolution, conspiracy theories, and the human connection to the natural world. The second season of Wild Thing concerns the search for extraterrestrial life.\n\nEpisodes \n\nSeason 2: Wild Thing: Space Invaders\n\nIn addition to the main episodes, both seasons also include bonus interviews. Season one includes conversations with well known cryptozoologist Bob Gimlin, director William Dear, Sasquatch hunter Peter Byrne and Bigfoot erotica author Virginia Wade. In season two Krantz speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, science YouTuber Joe Scott, as well as astronomers involved with searching for life on Venus and Mars.\n\nCritical reception \nWild Thing garnered largely positive press from around the country. The Atlantic announced Wild Thing as one of the best podcasts of 2018, largely owing to its gentle handing of a topic that many people view with skepticism. Emily Todd VanDerWeff of Vox wrote: \"It’s smart, well produced, well written, and intelligently structured.\" The Los Angeles Times called Wild Thing \"Serial for Sasquatches.\" Mashable named it the most \"binge-worth podcasts of 2018\" The Atlanticnamed season 2 one of the best podcasts of 2020. The show was also featured in Rolling Stone, Outside Magazine, and Scientific American.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Official Website\n\n2018 podcast debuts\nAudio podcasts",
"\"Winning isn’t everything; it's the only thing\" is a well-known quotation in sports. It is attributed to UCLA Bruins football coach Henry Russell (\"Red\") Sanders. He is on record with at least two different versions of the quotation during his coaching career. Sanders is reputed to have used this quote even as far back as the 1930s.\n\nRed Sanders\n\nIn 1950, at a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo physical education workshop, Sanders told his group: \"Men, I'll be honest. Winning isn't everything\", then following a long pause, \"Men, it's the only thing!\" In a three-part article, December 7, 1953, on Red Sanders, by Bud Furillo of the Los Angeles Herald and Express, the phrase is quoted in the sub head. Furillo said in his unpublished memoirs Sanders first made the statement to him after UCLA's loss to USC in 1949. In 1955, in a Sports Illustrated article preceding the 1956 Rose Bowl, he was quoted as saying \"Sure, winning isn't every thing; it's the only thing.\"\n\nWhile at UCLA, another famous quote was attributed to Sanders regarding the UCLA–USC rivalry, \"Beating 'SC is not a matter of life or death, it's more important than that.\" A form of this quote was later widely attributed to Bill Shankly, Liverpool FC coach from a 1981 television interview.\n\nOthers\nThe phrase is quoted in the 1953 film Trouble Along the Way by Sherry Jackson's character, Carol Williams. Screenwriter Melville Shavelson heard it from his agent, who also happened to represent Red Sanders, which is how it got into the script. The quotation is widely, but wrongly attributed to American football coach Vince Lombardi, who probably heard the phrase from UCLA coach Sanders. Lombardi is on record using the quotation as early as 1959 in his opening talk on the first day of the Packers’ training camp. The quotation captured the American public's attention during Lombardi's highly successful reign as coach of the Packers in the 1960s. Over time, the quotation took on a life of its own. The words graced the walls of locker rooms, ignited pre-game pep talks, and even into the Richard Nixon campaign. According to the late James Michener's Sports in America, Lombardi claimed to have been misquoted. What he intended to say was \"Winning isn't everything. The will to win is the only thing.\" However, Lombardi is on record repeating the original version of the quotation on several occasions.\n\nOther related quotations\n\nThis credo has served as counterpoint to the well known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice that, \"it's not that you won or lost but how you played the game\", and to the modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: \"The most important thing. . . is not winning but taking part\".\n\nReferences\n\nQuotations from sports\n1950s neologisms"
]
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[
"Stanley Kubrick",
"Cinematography",
"What movie did Stanley do its cinematography?",
"I don't know.",
"Any important thing about the article?",
"The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry"
]
| C_2159876f29b345e591d56c849ac47967_0 | Which is special about his cinematography? | 3 | Which is special about Stanley Kubrick's cinematography? | Stanley Kubrick | Kubrick credited the ease with which he photographed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius". Among Kubrick's notable innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible. Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world. CANNOTANSWER | using parallel lines in a scene | Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history. His films, almost all of which are adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their realism, dark humor, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music.
Kubrick was raised in the Bronx, New York City, and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. He received average grades, but displayed a keen interest in literature, photography, and film from a young age, and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he began making short films on shoestring budgets, and made his first major Hollywood film, The Killing, for United Artists in 1956. This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas: the war picture Paths of Glory (1957) and the historical epic Spartacus (1960).
Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios, a dislike of the Hollywood industry, and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he spent most of his remaining life and career. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which he shared with his wife Christiane, became his workplace, where he did his writing, research, editing, and management of production details. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios. His first productions in Britain were two films with Peter Sellers: Lolita (1962), an adaptation of the Vladimir Nabokov novel, and the Cold War black comedy Dr. Strangelove (1964).
A demanding perfectionist, Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process, from direction and writing to editing, and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes, working in close coordination with his actors, crew, and other collaborators. He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same shot in a movie, which resulted in many conflicts with his casts. Despite the resulting notoriety among actors, many of Kubrick's films broke new ground in cinematography. The scientific realism and innovative special effects of the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) were without precedent in the history of cinema, and the film earned him his only personal Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation's "big bang"; it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
While many of Kubrick's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release—particularly the brutal A Clockwork Orange (1971), which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy—most were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, and underwent critical reevaluations. For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon (1975), Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA, to film scenes under natural candlelight. With the horror film The Shining (1980), he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots, a technology vital to his Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket (1987). His last film, Eyes Wide Shut, was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70.
Early life
Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928, in the Lying-In Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family. He was the first of two children of Jacob Leonard Kubrick (May 21, 1902 – October 19, 1985), known as Jack or Jacques, and his wife Sadie Gertrude Kubrick ( Perveler; October 28, 1903 – April 23, 1985), known as Gert. His sister Barbara Mary Kubrick was born in May 1934. Jack Kubrick, whose parents and paternal grandparents were of Polish-Jewish, Austrian-Jewish, and Romanian-Jewish origin, was a homeopathic doctor, graduating from the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1927, the same year he married Kubrick's mother, the child of Austrian-Jewish immigrants. Kubrick's great-grandfather, Hersh Kubrick, arrived at Ellis Island via Liverpool by ship on December 27, 1899, at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife and two grown children, one of whom was Stanley's grandfather Elias, to start a new life with a younger woman. Elias Kubrick followed in 1902. At Stanley's birth the Kubricks lived in the Bronx. His parents married in a Jewish ceremony, but Kubrick did not have a religious upbringing and later professed an atheistic view of the universe. His father was a physician and, by the standards of the West Bronx, the family was fairly wealthy.
Soon after his sister's birth, Kubrick began schooling in Public School 3 in the Bronx and moved to Public School 90 in June 1938. His IQ was discovered to be above average but his attendance was poor. He displayed an interest in literature from a young age and began reading Greek and Roman myths and the fables of the Grimm brothers, which "instilled in him a lifelong affinity with Europe". He spent most Saturdays during the summer watching the New York Yankees and later photographed two boys watching the game in an assignment for Look magazine to emulate his own childhood excitement with baseball. When Kubrick was 12, his father Jack taught him chess. The game remained a lifelong interest of Kubrick's, appearing in many of his films. Kubrick, who later became a member of the United States Chess Federation, explained that chess helped him develop "patience and discipline" in making decisions. Aged 13, Kubrick's father bought him a Graflex camera, triggering a fascination with still photography. He befriended a neighbor, Marvin Traub, who shared his passion for photography. Traub had his own darkroom where he and the young Kubrick would spend many hours perusing photographs and watching the chemicals "magically make images on photographic paper". The two indulged in numerous photographic projects for which they roamed the streets looking for interesting subjects to capture and spent time in local cinemas studying films. Freelance photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig) had a considerable influence on Kubrick's development as a photographer; Kubrick later hired Fellig as the special stills photographer for Dr. Strangelove (1964). As a teenager, Kubrick was also interested in jazz and briefly attempted a career as a drummer.
Kubrick attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. Though he joined the school's photography club, which permitted him to photograph the school's events in their magazine, he was a mediocre student, with a 67/D+ grade average. Introverted and shy, Kubrick had a low attendance record and often skipped school to watch double-feature films. He graduated in 1945 but his poor grades, combined with the demand for college admissions from soldiers returning from the Second World War, eliminated any hope of higher education. Later in life Kubrick spoke disdainfully of his education and of American schooling as a whole, maintaining that schools were ineffective in stimulating critical thinking and student interest. His father was disappointed in his son's failure to achieve the excellence in school of which he knew Stanley was fully capable. Jack also encouraged Stanley to read from the family library at home, while permitting Stanley to take up photography as a serious hobby.
Photographic career
While in high school, Kubrick was chosen as an official school photographer. In the mid-1940s, since he was unable to gain admission to day session classes at colleges, he briefly attended evening classes at the City College of New York. Eventually, he sold a photographic series to Look magazine, which was printed on June 26, 1945. Kubrick supplemented his income by playing chess "for quarters" in Washington Square Park and various Manhattan chess clubs.
In 1946, he became an apprentice photographer for Look and later a full-time staff photographer. G. Warren Schloat, Jr., another new photographer for the magazine at the time, recalled that he thought Kubrick lacked the personality to make it as a director in Hollywood, remarking, "Stanley was a quiet fellow. He didn't say much. He was thin, skinny, and kind of poor—like we all were." Kubrick quickly became known for his story-telling in photographs. His first, published on April 16, 1946, was entitled "A Short Story from a Movie Balcony" and staged a fracas between a man and a woman, during which the man is slapped in the face, caught genuinely by surprise. In another assignment, 18 pictures were taken of various people waiting in a dental office. It has been said retrospectively that this project demonstrated an early interest of Kubrick in capturing individuals and their feelings in mundane environments. In 1948, he was sent to Portugal to document a travel piece, and covered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida.
A boxing enthusiast, Kubrick eventually began photographing boxing matches for the magazine. His earliest, "Prizefighter", was published on January 18, 1949, and captured a boxing match and the events leading up to it, featuring Walter Cartier. On April 2, 1949, he published photo essay "Chicago-City of Extremes" in Look, which displayed his talent early on for creating atmosphere with imagery. The following year, in July 1950, the magazine published his photo essay, "Working Debutante – Betsy von Furstenberg", which featured a Pablo Picasso portrait of Angel F. de Soto in the background. Kubrick was also assigned to photograph numerous jazz musicians, from Frank Sinatra and Erroll Garner to George Lewis, Eddie Condon, Phil Napoleon, Papa Celestin, Alphonse Picou, Muggsy Spanier, Sharkey Bonano, and others.
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz on May 28, 1948. They lived together in a small apartment at 36 West 16th Street, off Sixth Avenue just north of Greenwich Village. During this time, Kubrick began frequenting film screenings at the Museum of Modern Art and New York City cinemas. He was inspired by the complex, fluid camerawork of director Max Ophüls, whose films influenced Kubrick's visual style, and by the director Elia Kazan, whom he described as America's "best director" at that time, with his ability of "performing miracles" with his actors. Friends began to notice Kubrick had become obsessed with the art of filmmaking—one friend, David Vaughan, observed that Kubrick would scrutinize the film at the cinema when it went silent, and would go back to reading his paper when people started talking. He spent many hours reading books on film theory and writing notes. He was particularly inspired by Sergei Eisenstein and Arthur Rothstein, the photographic technical director of Look magazine.
Film career
Short films (1951–1953)
Kubrick shared a love of film with his school friend Alexander Singer, who after graduating from high school had the intention of directing a film version of Homer's Iliad. Through Singer, who worked in the offices of the newsreel production company, The March of Time, Kubrick learned it could cost $40,000 to make a proper short film, money he could not afford. He had $1500 in savings and produced a few short documentaries fueled by encouragement from Singer. He began learning all he could about filmmaking on his own, calling film suppliers, laboratories, and equipment rental houses.
Kubrick decided to make a short film documentary about boxer Walter Cartier, whom he had photographed and written about for Look magazine a year earlier. He rented a camera and produced a 16-minute black-and-white documentary, Day of the Fight. Kubrick found the money independently to finance it. He had considered asking Montgomery Clift to narrate it, whom he had met during a photographic session for Look, but settled on CBS news veteran Douglas Edwards. According to Paul Duncan the film was "remarkably accomplished for a first film", and used a backward tracking shot to film a scene in which Cartier and his brother walk towards the camera, a device which later became one of Kubrick's characteristic camera movements. Vincent Cartier, Walter's brother and manager, later reflected on his observations of Kubrick during the filming. He said, "Stanley was a very stoic, impassive but imaginative type person with strong, imaginative thoughts. He commanded respect in a quiet, shy way. Whatever he wanted, you complied, he just captivated you. Anybody who worked with Stanley did just what Stanley wanted". After a score was added by Singer's friend Gerald Fried, Kubrick had spent $3900 in making it, and sold it to RKO-Pathé for $4000, which was the most the company had ever paid for a short film at the time. Kubrick described his first effort at filmmaking as having been valuable since he believed himself to have been forced to do most of the work, and he later declared that the "best education in film is to make one".
Inspired by this early success, Kubrick quit his job at Look and visited professional filmmakers in New York City, asking many detailed questions about the technical aspects of filmmaking. He stated that he was given the confidence during this period to become a filmmaker because of the number of bad films he had seen, remarking, "I don't know a goddamn thing about movies, but I know I can make a better film than that". He began making Flying Padre (1951), a film which documents Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, who travels some 4,000 miles to visit his 11 churches. The film was originally going to be called "Sky Pilot", a pun on the slang term for a priest. During the course of the film, the priest performs a burial service, confronts a boy bullying a girl, and makes an emergency flight to aid a sick mother and baby into an ambulance. Several of the views from and of the plane in Flying Padre are later echoed in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) with the footage of the spacecraft, and a series of close-ups on the faces of people attending the funeral were most likely inspired by Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) and Ivan the Terrible (1944/1958).
Flying Padre was followed by The Seafarers (1953), Kubrick's first color film, which was shot for the Seafarers International Union in June 1953. It depicted the logistics of a democratic union and focused more on the amenities of seafaring other than the act. For the cafeteria scene in the film, Kubrick chose a dolly shot to establish the life of the seafarer's community; this kind of shot would later become a signature technique. The sequence of Paul Hall, secretary-treasurer of the SIU Atlantic and gulf district, speaking to members of the union echoes scenes from Eisenstein's Strike (1925) and October (1928). Day of the Fight, Flying Padre and The Seafarers constitute Kubrick's only surviving documentary works; some historians believe he made others.
Early feature work (1953–1955)
After raising $1000 showing his short films to friends and family, Kubrick found the finances to begin making his first feature film, Fear and Desire (1953), originally running with the title The Trap, written by his friend Howard Sackler. Kubrick's uncle, Martin Perveler, a Los Angeles pharmacy owner, invested a further $9000 on condition that he be credited as executive producer of the film. Kubrick assembled several actors and a small crew totaling 14 people (five actors, five crewmen, and four others to help transport the equipment) and flew to the San Gabriel Mountains in California for a five-week, low-budget shoot. Later renamed The Shape of Fear before finally being named Fear and Desire, it is a fictional allegory about a team of soldiers who survive a plane crash and are caught behind enemy lines in a war. During the course of the film, one of the soldiers becomes infatuated with an attractive girl in the woods and binds her to a tree. This scene is noted for its close-ups on the face of the actress. Kubrick had intended for Fear and Desire to be a silent picture in order to ensure low production costs; the added sounds, effects, and music ultimately brought production costs to around $53,000, exceeding the budget. He was bailed out by producer Richard de Rochemont on the condition that he help in de Rochemont's production of a five-part television series about Abraham Lincoln on location in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Fear and Desire was a commercial failure, but garnered several positive reviews upon release. Critics such as the reviewer from The New York Times believed that Kubrick's professionalism as a photographer shone through in the picture, and that he "artistically caught glimpses of the grotesque attitudes of death, the wolfishness of hungry men, as well as their bestiality, and in one scene, the wracking effect of lust on a pitifully juvenile soldier and the pinioned girl he is guarding". Columbia University scholar Mark Van Doren was highly impressed by the scenes with the girl bound to the tree, remarking that it would live on as a "beautiful, terrifying and weird" sequence which illustrated Kubrick's immense talent and guaranteed his future success. Kubrick himself later expressed embarrassment with Fear and Desire, and attempted over the years to keep prints of the film out of circulation. During the production of the film, Kubrick almost killed his cast with poisonous gasses by mistake.
Following Fear and Desire, Kubrick began working on ideas for a new boxing film. Due to the commercial failure of his first feature, Kubrick avoided asking for further investments, but commenced a film noir script with Howard O. Sackler. Originally under the title Kiss Me, Kill Me, and then The Nymph and the Maniac, Killer's Kiss (1955) is a 67-minute film noir about a young heavyweight boxer's involvement with a woman being abused by her criminal boss. Like Fear and Desire, it was privately funded by Kubrick's family and friends, with some $40,000 put forward from Bronx pharmacist Morris Bousse. Kubrick began shooting footage in Times Square, and frequently explored during the filming process, experimenting with cinematography and considering the use of unconventional angles and imagery. He initially chose to record the sound on location, but encountered difficulties with shadows from the microphone booms, restricting camera movement. His decision to drop the sound in favor of imagery was a costly one; after 12–14 weeks shooting the picture, he spent some seven months and $35,000 working on the sound.
Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) directly influenced the film with the painting laughing at a character, and Martin Scorsese has, in turn, cited Kubrick's innovative shooting angles and atmospheric shots in Killer's Kiss as an influence on Raging Bull (1980). Actress Irene Kane, the star of Killer's Kiss, observed: "Stanley's a fascinating character. He thinks movies should move, with a minimum of dialogue, and he's all for sex and sadism". Killer's Kiss met with limited commercial success and made very little money in comparison with its production budget of $75,000. Critics have praised the film's camerawork, but its acting and story are generally considered mediocre.
Hollywood success and beyond (1955–1962)
While playing chess in Washington Square, Kubrick met producer James B. Harris, who considered Kubrick "the most intelligent, most creative person I have ever come in contact with." The two formed the Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corporation in 1955. Harris purchased the rights to Lionel White's novel Clean Break for $10,000 and Kubrick wrote the script, but at Kubrick's suggestion, they hired film noir novelist Jim Thompson to write the dialog for the film—which became The Killing (1956)—about a meticulously planned racetrack robbery gone wrong. The film starred Sterling Hayden, who had impressed Kubrick with his performance in The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
Kubrick and Harris moved to Los Angeles and signed with the Jaffe Agency to shoot the picture, which became Kubrick's first full-length feature film shot with a professional cast and crew. The Union in Hollywood stated that Kubrick would not be permitted to be both the director and the cinematographer, resulting in the hiring of veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard. Kubrick agreed to waive his fee for the production, which was shot in 24 days on a budget of $330,000. He clashed with Ballard during the shooting, and on one occasion Kubrick threatened to fire Ballard following a camera dispute, despite being aged only 27 and 20 years Ballard's junior. Hayden recalled Kubrick was "cold and detached. Very mechanical, always confident. I've worked with few directors who are that good".
The Killing failed to secure a proper release across the United States; the film made little money, and was promoted only at the last minute, as a second feature to the Western movie Bandido! (1956). Several contemporary critics lauded the film, with a reviewer for Time comparing its camerawork to that of Orson Welles. Today, critics generally consider The Killing to be among the best films of Kubrick's early career; its nonlinear narrative and clinical execution also had a major influence on later directors of crime films, including Quentin Tarantino. Dore Schary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was highly impressed as well, and offered Kubrick and Harris $75,000 to write, direct, and produce a film, which ultimately became Paths of Glory (1957).
Paths of Glory, set during World War I, is based on Humphrey Cobb's 1935 antiwar novel. Schary was familiar with the novel, but stated that MGM would not finance another war picture, given their backing of the anti-war film The Red Badge of Courage (1951). After Schary was fired by MGM in a major shake-up, Kubrick and Harris managed to interest Kirk Douglas in playing Colonel Dax. Douglas, in turn, signed Harris-Kubrick Pictures to a three-picture co-production deal with his film production company, Bryna Productions, which secured a financing and distribution deal for Paths of Glory and two subsequent films with United Artists. The film, shot in Munich, from March 1957, follows a French army unit ordered on an impossible mission, and follows with a war trial of three soldiers, arbitrarily chosen, for misconduct. Dax is assigned to defend the men at Court Martial. For the battle scene, Kubrick meticulously lined up six cameras one after the other along the boundary of no-man's land, with each camera capturing a specific field and numbered, and gave each of the hundreds of extras a number for the zone in which they would die. Kubrick operated an Arriflex camera for the battle, zooming in on Douglas. Paths of Glory became Kubrick's first significant commercial success, and established him as an up-and-coming young filmmaker. Critics praised the film's unsentimental, spare, and unvarnished combat scenes and its raw, black-and-white cinematography. Despite the praise, the Christmas release date was criticized, and the subject was controversial in Europe. The film was banned in France until 1974 for its "unflattering" depiction of the French military, and was censored by the Swiss Army until 1970.
In October 1957, after Paths of Glory had its world premiere in Germany, Bryna Productions optioned Canadian church minister-turned-master-safecracker Herbert Emerson Wilsons's autobiography, I Stole $16,000,000, especially for Stanley Kubrick and James B. Harris. The picture was to be the second in the co-production deal between Bryna Productions and Harris-Kubrick Pictures, which Kubrick was to write and direct, Harris to co-produce and Douglas to co-produce and star. In November 1957, Gavin Lambert was signed as story editor for I Stole $16,000,000, and with Kubrick, finished a script titled God Fearing Man, but the picture was never filmed.
Marlon Brando contacted Kubrick, asking him to direct a film adaptation of the Charles Neider western novel, The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones, featuring Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Brando was impressed, saying "Stanley is unusually perceptive, and delicately attuned to people. He has an adroit intellect, and is a creative thinker—not a repeater, not a fact-gatherer. He digests what he learns and brings to a new project an original point of view and a reserved passion". The two worked on a script for six months, begun by a then unknown Sam Peckinpah. Many disputes broke out over the project, and in the end, Kubrick distanced himself from what would become One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
In February 1959, Kubrick received a phone call from Kirk Douglas asking him to direct Spartacus (1960), based on the historical Spartacus and the Third Servile War. Douglas had acquired the rights to the novel by Howard Fast and blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo began penning the script. It was produced by Douglas, who also starred as Spartacus, and cast Laurence Olivier as his foe, the Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus. Douglas hired Kubrick for a reported $150,000 fee to take over direction soon after he fired director Anthony Mann. Kubrick had, at 31, already directed four feature films, and this became his largest by far, with a cast of over 10,000 and a budget of $6 million. At the time, this was the most expensive film ever made in America, and Kubrick became the youngest director in Hollywood history to make an epic. It was the first time that Kubrick filmed using the anamorphic 35mm horizontal Super Technirama process to achieve ultra-high definition, which allowed him to capture large panoramic scenes, including one with 8,000 trained soldiers from Spain representing the Roman army.
Disputes broke out during the filming of Spartacus. Kubrick complained about not having full creative control over the artistic aspects, insisting on improvising extensively during the production. Kubrick and Douglas were also at odds over the script, with Kubrick angering Douglas when he cut all but two of his lines from the opening 30 minutes. Despite the on-set troubles, Spartacus took $14.6 million at the box office in its first run. The film established Kubrick as a major director, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning four; it ultimately convinced him that if so much could be made of such a problematic production, he could achieve anything. Spartacus also marked the end of the working relationship between Kubrick and Douglas.
Collaboration with Peter Sellers (1962–1964)
Lolita
Kubrick and Harris decided to film Kubrick's next movie Lolita (1962) in England, due to clauses placed on the contract by producers Warner Bros. that gave them complete control over the film, and the fact that the Eady plan permitted producers to write off the costs if 80% of the crew were British. Instead, they signed a $1 million deal with Eliot Hyman's Associated Artists Productions, and a clause which gave them the artistic freedom that they desired. Lolita, Kubrick's first attempt at black comedy, was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, the story of a middle-aged college professor becoming infatuated with a 12-year-old girl. Stylistically, Lolita, starring Peter Sellers, James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Sue Lyon, was a transitional film for Kubrick, "marking the turning point from a naturalistic cinema ... to the surrealism of the later films", according to film critic Gene Youngblood. Kubrick was impressed by the range of actor Peter Sellers and gave him one of his first opportunities to improvise wildly during shooting, while filming him with three cameras.
Kubrick shot Lolita over 88 days on a $2 million budget at Elstree Studios, between October 1960 and March 1961. Kubrick often clashed with Shelley Winters, whom he found "very difficult" and demanding, and nearly fired at one point. Because of its provocative story, Lolita was Kubrick's first film to generate controversy; he was ultimately forced to comply with censors and remove much of the erotic element of the relationship between Mason's Humbert and Lyon's Lolita which had been evident in Nabokov's novel. The film was not a major critical or commercial success, earning $3.7 million at the box office on its opening run. Lolita has since become critically acclaimed.
Dr. Strangelove
Kubrick's next project was Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), another satirical black comedy. Kubrick became preoccupied with the issue of nuclear war as the Cold War unfolded in the 1950s, and even considered moving to Australia because he feared that New York City might be a likely target for the Russians. He studied over 40 military and political research books on the subject and eventually reached the conclusion that "nobody really knew anything and the whole situation was absurd".
After buying the rights to the novel Red Alert, Kubrick collaborated with its author, Peter George, on the script. It was originally written as a serious political thriller, but Kubrick decided that a "serious treatment" of the subject would not be believable, and thought that some of its most salient points would be fodder for comedy. Kubrick's longtime producer-and-friend, James B. Harris, thought the film should be serious, and the two parted ways, amicably, over this disagreement—Harris going on to produce and direct the serious cold-war thriller The Bedford Incident. Kubrick and Red Alert author George then reworked the script as a satire (provisionally titled "The Delicate Balance of Terror") in which the plot of Red Alert was situated as a film-within-a-film made by an alien intelligence, but this idea was also abandoned, and Kubrick decided to make the film as "an outrageous black comedy".
Just before filming began, Kubrick hired noted journalist and satirical author Terry Southern to transform the script into its final form, a black comedy, loaded with sexual innuendo, becoming a film which showed Kubrick's talents as a "unique kind of absurdist" according to the film scholar Abrams. Southern made major contributions to the final script, and was co-credited (above Peter George) in the film's opening titles; his perceived role in the writing later led to a public rift between Kubrick and Peter George, who subsequently complained in a letter to Life magazine that Southern's intense but relatively brief (November 16 to December 28, 1962) involvement with the project was being given undue prominence in the media, while his own role as the author of the film's source novel, and his ten-month stint as the script's co-writer, were being downplayed – a perception Kubrick evidently did little to address.
Kubrick found that Dr. Strangelove, a $2 million production which employed what became the "first important visual effects crew in the world", would be impossible to make in the U.S. for various technical and political reasons, forcing him to move production to England. It was shot in 15 weeks, ending in April 1963, after which Kubrick spent eight months editing it. Peter Sellers again agreed to work with Kubrick, and ended up playing three different roles in the film.
Upon release, the film stirred up much controversy and mixed opinions. The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther worried that it was a "discredit and even contempt for our whole defense establishment ... the most shattering sick joke I've ever come across", while Robert Brustein of Out of This World in a February 1970 article called it a "juvenalian satire". Kubrick responded to the criticism, stating: "A satirist is someone who has a very skeptical view of human nature, but who still has the optimism to make some sort of a joke out of it. However brutal that joke might be". Today, the film is considered to be one of the sharpest comedy films ever made, and holds a near-perfect 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews . It was named the 39th-greatest American film and third-greatest American comedy film of all time by the American Film Institute, and in 2010, it was named the sixth-best comedy film of all time by The Guardian.
Ground-breaking cinema (1965–1971)
Kubrick spent five years developing his next film, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), having been highly impressed with science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End, about a superior alien race who assist mankind in eliminating their old selves. After meeting Clarke in New York City in April 1964, Kubrick made the suggestion to work on his 1948 short story The Sentinel, in which a monolith found on the Moon alerts aliens of mankind. That year, Clarke began writing the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and collaborated with Kubrick on a screenplay. The film's theme, the birthing of one intelligence by another, is developed in two parallel intersecting stories on two different time scales. One depicts evolutionary transitions between various stages of man, from ape to "star child", as man is reborn into a new existence, each step shepherded by an enigmatic alien intelligence seen only in its artifacts: a series of seemingly indestructible eons-old black monoliths. In space, the enemy is a supercomputer known as HAL who runs the spaceship, a character which novelist Clancy Sigal described as being "far, far more human, more humorous and conceivably decent than anything else that may emerge from this far-seeing enterprise".
Kubrick intensively researched for the film, paying particular attention to accuracy and detail in what the future might look like. He was granted permission by NASA to observe the spacecraft being used in the Ranger 9 mission for accuracy. Filming commenced on December 29, 1965, with the excavation of the monolith on the moon, and footage was shot in Namib Desert in early 1967, with the ape scenes completed later that year. The special effects team continued working until the end of the year to complete the film, taking the cost to $10.5 million. 2001: A Space Odyssey was conceived as a Cinerama spectacle and was photographed in Super Panavision 70, giving the viewer a "dazzling mix of imagination and science" through ground-breaking effects, which earned Kubrick his only personal Oscar, an Academy Award for Visual Effects. Kubrick said of the concept of the film in an interview with Rolling Stone: "On the deepest psychological level, the film's plot symbolized the search for God, and finally postulates what is little less than a scientific definition of God. The film revolves around this metaphysical conception, and the realistic hardware and the documentary feelings about everything were necessary in order to undermine your built-in resistance to the poetical concept".
Upon release in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was not an immediate hit among critics, who faulted its lack of dialog, slow pacing, and seemingly impenetrable storyline. The film appeared to defy genre convention, much unlike any science-fiction movie before it, and clearly different from any of Kubrick's earlier works. Kubrick was particularly outraged by a scathing review from Pauline Kael, who called it "the biggest amateur movie of them all", with Kubrick doing "really every dumb thing he ever wanted to do". Despite mixed contemporary critical reviews, 2001 gradually gained popularity and earned $31 million worldwide by the end of 1972. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and is a staple on All Time Top 10 lists. Baxter describes the film as "one of the most admired and discussed creations in the history of cinema", and Steven Spielberg has referred to it as "the big bang of his film making generation". For biographer Vincent LoBrutto it "positioned Stanley Kubrick as a pure artist ranked among the masters of cinema".
After completing 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick searched for a project that he could film quickly on a more modest budget. He settled on A Clockwork Orange (1971) at the end of 1969, an exploration of violence and experimental rehabilitation by law enforcement authorities, based around the character of Alex (portrayed by Malcolm McDowell). Kubrick had received a copy of Anthony Burgess's novel of the same name from Terry Southern while they were working on Dr. Strangelove, but had rejected it on the grounds that Nadsat, a street language for young teenagers, was too difficult to comprehend. The decision to make a film about the degeneration of youth reflected contemporary concerns in 1969; the New Hollywood movement was creating a great number of films that depicted the sexuality and rebelliousness of young people. A Clockwork Orange was shot over 1970–1971 on a budget of £2 million. Kubrick abandoned his use of CinemaScope in filming, deciding that the 1.66:1 widescreen format was, in the words of Baxter, an "acceptable compromise between spectacle and intimacy", and favored his "rigorously symmetrical framing", which "increased the beauty of his compositions". The film heavily features "pop erotica" of the period, including a giant white plastic set of male genitals, decor which Kubrick had intended to give it a "slightly futuristic" look. McDowell's role in Lindsay Anderson's if.... (1968) was crucial to his casting as Alex, and Kubrick professed that he probably would not have made the film if McDowell had been unavailable.
Because of its depiction of teenage violence, A Clockwork Orange became one of the most controversial films of its time, and part of an ongoing debate about violence and its glorification in cinema. It received an X rating, or certificate, in both the UK and US, on its release just before Christmas 1971, though many critics saw much of the violence depicted in the film as satirical, and less violent than Straw Dogs, which had been released a month earlier. Kubrick personally pulled the film from release in the United Kingdom after receiving death threats following a series of copycat crimes based on the film; it was thus completely unavailable legally in the UK until after Kubrick's death, and not re-released until 2000. John Trevelyan, the censor of the film, personally considered A Clockwork Orange to be "perhaps the most brilliant piece of cinematic art I've ever seen," and believed it to present an "intellectual argument rather than a sadistic spectacle" in its depiction of violence, but acknowledged that many would not agree. Negative media hype over the film notwithstanding, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing, and was named by the New York Film Critics Circle as the Best Film of 1971. After William Friedkin won Best Director for The French Connection that year, he told the press: "Speaking personally, I think Stanley Kubrick is the best American film-maker of the year. In fact, not just this year, but the best, period."
Period and horror filming (1972–1980)
Barry Lyndon (1975) is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's The Luck of Barry Lyndon, a picaresque novel about the adventures of an 18th-century Irish rogue and social climber. John Calley of Warner Bros. agreed in 1972 to invest $2.5 million into the film, on condition that Kubrick approach major Hollywood stars, to ensure success. Like previous films, Kubrick and his art department conducted an enormous amount of research on the 18th century. Extensive photographs were taken of locations and artwork in particular, and paintings were meticulously replicated from works of the great masters of the period in the film. The film was shot on location in Ireland, beginning in the autumn of 1973, at a cost of $11 million with a cast and crew of 170. The decision to shoot in Ireland stemmed from the fact that it still retained many buildings from the 18th century period which England lacked. The production was problematic from the start, plagued with heavy rain and political strife involving Northern Ireland at the time. After Kubrick received death threats from the IRA in 1974 due to the shooting scenes with English soldiers, he fled Ireland with his family on a ferry from Dún Laoghaire under an assumed identity and resumed filming in England.
Baxter notes that Barry Lyndon was the film which made Kubrick notorious for paying scrupulous attention to detail, often demanding twenty or thirty retakes of the same scene to perfect his art. Often considered to be his most authentic-looking picture, the cinematography and lighting techniques that Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott used in Barry Lyndon were highly innovative. Interior scenes were shot with a specially adapted high-speed f/0.7 Zeiss camera lens originally developed for NASA to be used in satellite photography. The lenses allowed many scenes to be lit only with candlelight, creating two-dimensional, diffused-light images reminiscent of 18th-century paintings. Cinematographer Allen Daviau states that the method gives the audience a way of seeing the characters and scenes as they would have been seen by people at the time. Many of the fight scenes were shot with a hand-held camera to produce a "sense of documentary realism and immediacy".
Barry Lyndon found a great audience in France, but was a box office failure, grossing just $9.5 million in the American market, not even close to the $30 million Warner Bros. needed to generate a profit. The pace and length of Barry Lyndon at three hours put off many American critics and audiences, but the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score, more than any other Kubrick film. As with most of Kubrick's films, Barry Lyndon'''s reputation has grown through the years and it is now considered to be one of his best, particularly among filmmakers and critics. Numerous polls, such as The Village Voice (1999), Sight & Sound (2002), and Time (2005), have rated it as one of the greatest films ever made. , it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews. Roger Ebert referred to it as "one of the most beautiful films ever made ... certainly in every frame a Kubrick film: technically awesome, emotionally distant, remorseless in its doubt of human goodness".The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of an isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick gave his actors freedom to extend the script and even improvise on occasion, and as a result, Nicholson was responsible for the 'Here's Johnny!' line and the scene in which he's sitting at the typewriter and unleashes his anger upon his wife. Kubrick often demanded up to 70 or 80 retakes of the same scene. Duvall, whom Kubrick intentionally isolated and argued with, was forced to perform the exhausting baseball bat scene 127 times. The bar scene with the ghostly bartender was shot 36 times, while the kitchen scene between the characters of Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Halloran (Scatman Crothers) ran to 148 takes. The aerial shots of the Overlook Hotel were shot at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, while the interiors of the hotel were shot at Elstree Studios in England between May 1978 and April 1979. Cardboard models were made of all of the sets of the film, and the lighting of them was a massive undertaking, which took four months of electrical wiring. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to use its full potential. The Shining was not the only horror film to which Kubrick had been linked; he had turned down the directing of both The Exorcist (1973) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), despite once saying in 1966 to a friend that he had long desired to "make the world's scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience".
Five days after release on May 23, 1980, Kubrick ordered the deletion of a final scene, in which the hotel manager Ullman (Barry Nelson) visits Wendy (Shelley Duvall) in hospital, believing it unnecessary after witnessing the audience excitement in cinemas at the film's climax. The Shining opened to strong box office takings, earning $1 million on the first weekend and earning $30.9 million in America by the end of the year. The original critical response was mixed, and King detested the film and disliked Kubrick. The Shining is now considered to be a horror classic, and the American Film Institute has ranked it as the 27th greatest thriller film of all time.
Later work and final years (1981–1999)
Kubrick met author Michael Herr through mutual friend David Cornwell (novelist John le Carré) in 1980, and became interested in his book Dispatches, about the Vietnam War. Herr had recently written Martin Sheen's narration for Apocalypse Now (1979). Kubrick was also intrigued by Gustav Hasford's Vietnam War novel The Short-Timers. With the vision in mind to shoot what would become Full Metal Jacket (1987), Kubrick began working with both Herr and Hasford separately on a script. He eventually found Hasford's novel to be "brutally honest" and decided to shoot a film which closely follows the novel. All of the film was shot at a cost of $17 million within a 30-mile radius of his house between August 1985 and September 1986, later than scheduled as Kubrick shut down production for five months following a near-fatal accident with a jeep involving Lee Ermey. A derelict gasworks in Beckton in the London Docklands area posed as the ruined city of Huế, which makes the film visually very different from other Vietnam War films. Around 200 palm trees were imported via 40-foot trailers by road from North Africa, at a cost of £1000 a tree, and thousands of plastic plants were ordered from Hong Kong to provide foliage for the film. Kubrick explained he made the film look realistic by using natural light, and achieved a "newsreel effect" by making the Steadicam shots less steady, which reviewers and commentators thought contributed to the bleakness and seriousness of the film.
According to critic Michel Ciment, the film contained some of Kubrick's trademark characteristics, such as his selection of ironic music, portrayals of men being dehumanized, and attention to extreme detail to achieve realism. In a later scene, United States Marines patrol the ruins of an abandoned and destroyed city singing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club as a sardonic counterpoint. The film opened strongly in June 1987, taking over $30 million in the first 50 days alone, but critically it was overshadowed by the success of Oliver Stone's Platoon, released a year earlier. Co-star Matthew Modine stated one of Kubrick's favorite reviews read: "The first half of FMJ is brilliant. Then the film degenerates into a masterpiece." Roger Ebert was not particularly impressed with it, awarding it a mediocre 2.5 out of 4. He concluded: "Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is more like a book of short stories than a novel", a "strangely shapeless film from the man whose work usually imposes a ferociously consistent vision on his material".
Kubrick's final film was Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a Manhattan couple on a sexual odyssey. Tom Cruise portrays a doctor who witnesses a bizarre masked quasireligious orgiastic ritual at a country mansion, a discovery which later threatens his life. The story is based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 Freudian novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story in English), which Kubrick relocated from turn-of-the-century Vienna to New York City in the 1990s. Kubrick said of the novel: "A difficult book to describe—what good book isn't. It explores the sexual ambivalence of a happy marriage and tries to equate the importance of sexual dreams and might-have-beens with reality. All of Schnitzler's work is psychologically brilliant". Kubrick was almost 70, but worked relentlessly for 15 months to get the film out by its planned release date of July 16, 1999. He commenced a script with Frederic Raphael, and worked 18 hours a day, while maintaining complete confidentiality about the film.Eyes Wide Shut, like Lolita and A Clockwork Orange before it, faced censorship before release. Kubrick sent an unfinished preview copy to the stars and producers a few months before release, but his sudden death on March 7, 1999, came a few days after he finished editing. He never saw the final version released to the public, but he did see the preview of the film with Warner Bros., Cruise, and Kidman, and had reportedly told Warner executive Julian Senior that it was his "best film ever". At the time, critical opinion of the film was mixed, and it was viewed less favorably than most of Kubrick's films. Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, comparing the structure to a thriller and writing that it is "like an erotic daydream about chances missed and opportunities avoided", and thought that Kubrick's use of lighting at Christmas made the film "all a little garish, like an urban sideshow". Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post disliked the film, writing that it "is actually sad, rather than bad. It feels creaky, ancient, hopelessly out of touch, infatuated with the hot taboos of his youth and unable to connect with that twisty thing contemporary sexuality has become."
Unfinished and unrealized projects
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Kubrick collaborated with Brian Aldiss on expanding his short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" into a three-act film. It was a futuristic fairy tale about a robot that resembles and behaves as a child, and his efforts to become a 'real boy' in a manner similar to Pinocchio. Kubrick approached Spielberg in 1995 with the AI script with the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing it and Kubrick producing it. Kubrick reportedly held long telephone discussions with Spielberg regarding the film, and, according to Spielberg, at one point stated that the subject matter was closer to Spielberg's sensibilities than his.
Following Kubrick's 1999 death, Spielberg took the drafts and notes left by Kubrick and his writers and composed a new screenplay based on an earlier 90-page story treatment by Ian Watson written under Kubrick's supervision and specifications. In association with what remained of Kubrick's production unit, he directed the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) which was produced by Kubrick's longtime producer (and brother-in-law) Jan Harlan. Sets, costumes, and art direction were based on the works of conceptual artist Chris Baker, who had also done much of his work under Kubrick's supervision.
Spielberg was able to function autonomously in Kubrick's absence, but said he felt "inhibited to honor him", and followed Kubrick's visual schema with as much fidelity as he could. Spielberg, who once referred to Kubrick as "the greatest master I ever served", now with production underway, admitted, "I felt like I was being coached by a ghost." The film was released in June 2001. It contains a posthumous production credit for Stanley Kubrick at the beginning and the brief dedication "For Stanley Kubrick" at the end. John Williams's score contains many allusions to pieces heard in other Kubrick films.
Napoleon
Following 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick planned to make a film about the life of Napoleon. Fascinated by the French leader's life and "self-destruction", Kubrick spent a great deal of time planning the film's development and conducted about two years of research into Napoleon's life, reading several hundred books and gaining access to his personal memoirs and commentaries. He tried to see every film about Napoleon and found none of them appealing, including Abel Gance's 1927 film which is generally considered to be a masterpiece, but for Kubrick, a "really terrible" movie. LoBrutto states that Napoleon was an ideal subject for Kubrick, embracing Kubrick's "passion for control, power, obsession, strategy, and the military", while Napoleon's psychological intensity and depth, logistical genius and war, sex, and the evil nature of man were all ingredients which deeply appealed to Kubrick.
Kubrick drafted a screenplay in 1961, and envisaged making a "grandiose" epic, with up to 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. He intended hiring the armed forces of an entire country to make the film, as he considered Napoleonic battles to be "so beautiful, like vast lethal ballets", with an "aesthetic brilliance that doesn't require a military mind to appreciate". He wanted them replicated as authentically as possible on screen. Kubrick sent research teams to scout for locations across Europe, and commissioned screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, one of his young assistants on 2001, to the Isle of Elba, Austerlitz, and Waterloo, taking thousands of pictures for his later perusal. Kubrick approached numerous stars to play leading roles, including Audrey Hepburn for Empress Josephine, a part which she could not accept due to semiretirement.
British actors David Hemmings and Ian Holm were considered for the lead role of Napoleon, before Jack Nicholson was cast. The film was well into preproduction and ready to begin filming in 1969 when MGM cancelled the project. Numerous reasons have been cited for the abandonment of the project, including its projected cost, a change of ownership at MGM, and the poor reception that the 1970 Soviet film about Napoleon, Waterloo, received. In 2011, Taschen published the book Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made, a large volume compilation of literature and source documents from Kubrick, such as scene photo ideas and copies of letters Kubrick wrote and received. In March 2013, Steven Spielberg, who previously collaborated with Kubrick on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and is a passionate admirer of his work, announced that he would be developing Napoleon as a TV miniseries based on Kubrick's original screenplay.
Other projects
In the 1950s, Kubrick and Harris developed a sitcom starring Ernie Kovacs and a film adaption of the book I Stole $16,000,000, but nothing came of them. Tony Frewin, an assistant who worked with the director for a long period of time, revealed in a 2013 Atlantic article: "[Kubrick] was limitlessly interested in anything to do with Nazis and desperately wanted to make a film on the subject." Kubrick had intended to make a film about , a Nazi officer who used the pen name "Dr. Jazz" to write reviews of German music scenes during the Nazi era. Kubrick had been given a copy of the Mike Zwerin book Swing Under the Nazis after he had finished production on Full Metal Jacket, the front cover of which featured a photograph of Schulz-Köhn. A screenplay was never completed and Kubrick's adaptation was never initiated. The unfinished Aryan Papers, based on Louis Begley's debut novel Wartime Lies, was a factor in the abandonment of the project. Work on Aryan Papers depressed Kubrick enormously, and he eventually decided that Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) covered much of the same material.
According to biographer John Baxter, Kubrick had shown an interest in directing a pornographic film based on a satirical novel written by Terry Southern, titled Blue Movie, about a director who makes Hollywood's first big-budget porn film. Baxter claims that Kubrick concluded he did not have the patience or temperament to become involved in the porn industry, and Southern stated that Kubrick was "too ultra conservative" towards sexuality to have gone ahead with it, but liked the idea. Kubrick was unable to direct a film of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum as Eco had given his publisher instructions to never sell the film rights to any of his books after his dissatisfaction with the film version of The Name of the Rose. Also, when the film rights to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings were sold to United Artists, the Beatles approached Kubrick to direct them in a film adaptation, but Kubrick was unwilling to produce a film based on a very popular book.
Career influences
As a young man, Kubrick was fascinated by the films of Soviet filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Kubrick read Pudovkin's seminal theoretical work, Film Technique, which argues that editing makes film a unique art form, and it needs to be employed to manipulate the medium to its fullest. Kubrick recommended this work to others for many years. Thomas Nelson describes this book as "the greatest influence of any single written work on the evolution of [Kubrick's] private aesthetics". Kubrick also found the ideas of Konstantin Stanislavski to be essential to his understanding the basics of directing, and gave himself a crash course to learn his methods.
Kubrick's family and many critics felt that his Jewish ancestry may have contributed to his worldview and aspects of his films. After his death, both his daughter and wife stated that he was not religious, but "did not deny his Jewishness, not at all". His daughter noted that he wanted to make a film about the Holocaust, the Aryan Papers, having spent years researching the subject. Most of Kubrick's friends and early photography and film collaborators were Jewish, and his first two marriages were to daughters of recent Jewish immigrants from Europe. British screenwriter Frederic Raphael, who worked closely with Kubrick in his final years, believes that the originality of Kubrick's films was partly because he "had a (Jewish?) respect for scholars". He declared that it was "absurd to try to understand Stanley Kubrick without reckoning on Jewishness as a fundamental aspect of his mentality".
Walker notes that Kubrick was influenced by the tracking and "fluid camera" styles of director Max Ophüls, and used them in many of his films, including Paths of Glory and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick noted how in Ophuls' films "the camera went through every wall and every floor". He once named Ophüls' Le Plaisir (1952) as his favorite film. According to film historian John Wakeman, Ophüls himself learned the technique from director Anatole Litvak in the 1930s, when he was his assistant, and whose work was "replete with the camera trackings, pans and swoops which later became the trademark of Max Ophüls". Geoffrey Cocks believes that Kubrick was also influenced by Ophüls' stories of thwarted love and a preoccupation with predatory men, while Herr notes that Kubrick was deeply inspired by G. W. Pabst, who earlier tried, but was unable to adapt Schnitzler's Traumnovelle, the basis of Eyes Wide Shut. Film critic Robert Kolker sees the influence of Welles' moving camera shots on Kubrick's style. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick identified with Welles and that this influenced the making of The Killing, with its "multiple points of view, extreme angles, and deep focus".
Kubrick admired the work of Ingmar Bergman and expressed it in personal letter: "Your vision of life has moved me deeply, much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. I believe you are the greatest film-maker at work today [...], unsurpassed by anyone in the creation of mood and atmosphere, the subtlety of performance, the avoidance of the obvious, the truthfulness and completeness of characterization. To this one must also add everything else that goes into the making of a film; [...] and I shall look forward with eagerness to each of your films."
When the American magazine Cinema asked Kubrick in 1963 to name his favorite films, he listed Italian director Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni as number one in his Top 10 list.
Directing techniques
Philosophy
Kubrick's films typically involve expressions of an inner struggle, examined from different perspectives.
He was very careful not to present his own views of the meaning of his films and to leave them open to interpretation. He explained in a 1960 interview with Robert Emmett Ginna:
"One of the things I always find extremely difficult, when a picture's finished, is when a writer or a film reviewer asks, 'Now, what is it that you were trying to say in that picture?' And without being thought too presumptuous for using this analogy, I like to remember what T. S. Eliot said to someone who had asked him—I believe it was The Waste Land—what he meant by the poem. He replied, 'I meant what I said.' If I could have said it any differently, I would have".
Kubrick likened the understanding of his films to popular music, in that whatever the background or intellect of the individual, a Beatles record, for instance, can be appreciated both by the Alabama truck driver and the young Cambridge intellectual, because their "emotions and subconscious are far more similar than their intellects". He believed that the subconscious emotional reaction experienced by audiences was far more powerful in the film medium than in any other traditional verbal form, and was one of the reasons why he often relied on long periods in his films without dialogue, placing emphasis on images and sound. In a 1975 Time magazine interview, Kubrick further stated: "The essence of a dramatic form is to let an idea come over people without it being plainly stated. When you say something directly, it is simply not as potent as it is when you allow people to discover it for themselves." He also said: "Realism is probably the best way to dramatize argument and ideas. Fantasy may deal best with themes which lie primarily in the unconscious".
Diane Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Shining with Kubrick, notes that he "always said that it was better to adapt a book rather than write an original screenplay, and that you should choose a work that isn't a masterpiece so you can improve on it. Which is what he's always done, except with Lolita". When deciding on a subject for a film, there were many aspects that he looked for, and he always made films which would "appeal to every sort of viewer, whatever their expectation of film". According to his co-producer Jan Harlan, Kubrick mostly "wanted to make films about things that mattered, that not only had form, but substance". Kubrick believed that audiences quite often were attracted to "enigmas and allegories" and did not like films in which everything was spelled out clearly.
Sexuality in Kubrick's films is usually depicted outside matrimonial relationships in hostile situations. Baxter states that Kubrick explores the "furtive and violent side alleys of the sexual experience: voyeurism, domination, bondage and rape" in his films. He further points out that films like A Clockwork Orange are "powerfully homoerotic", from Alex walking about his parents' flat in his Y-fronts, one eye being "made up with doll-like false eyelashes", to his innocent acceptance of the sexual advances of his post-corrective adviser Deltroid (Aubrey Morris). British critic Adrian Turner notes that Kubrick's films appear to be "preoccupied with questions of universal and inherited evil", and Malcolm McDowell referred to his humor as "black as coal", questioning his outlook on humanity. A few of his pictures were obvious satires and black comedies, such as Lolita and Dr. Strangelove; many of his other films also contained less visible elements of satire or irony. His films are unpredictable, examining "the duality and contradictions that exist in all of us". Ciment notes how Kubrick often tried to confound audience expectations by establishing radically different moods from one film to the next, remarking that he was almost "obsessed with contradicting himself, with making each work a critique of the previous one".
Kubrick stated that "there is no deliberate pattern to the stories that I have chosen to make into films. About the only factor at work each time is that I try not to repeat myself". As a result, Kubrick was often misunderstood by critics, and only once did he have unanimously positive reviews upon the release of a film—for Paths of Glory.
Writing and staging scenes
Film author Patrick Webster considers Kubrick's methods of writing and developing scenes to fit with the classical auteur theory of directing, allowing collaboration and improvisation with the actors during filming. Malcolm McDowell recalled Kubrick's collaborative emphasis during their discussions and his willingness to allow him to improvise a scene, stating that "there was a script and we followed it, but when it didn't work he knew it, and we had to keep rehearsing endlessly until we were bored with it".
Once Kubrick was confident in the overall staging of a scene, and felt the actors were prepared, he would then develop the visual aspects, including camera and lighting placement. Walker believes that Kubrick was one of "very few film directors competent to instruct their lighting photographers in the precise effect they want". Baxter believes that Kubrick was heavily influenced by his ancestry and always possessed a European perspective to filmmaking, particularly the Austro-Hungarian empire and his admiration for Max Ophuls and Richard Strauss.
Gilbert Adair, writing in a review for Full Metal Jacket, commented that "Kubrick's approach to language has always been of a reductive and uncompromisingly deterministic nature. He appears to view it as the exclusive product of environmental conditioning, only very marginally influenced by concepts of subjectivity and interiority, by all whims, shades and modulations of personal expression". Johnson notes that although Kubrick was a "visual filmmaker", he also loved words and was like a writer in his approach, very sensitive to the story itself, which he found unique. Before shooting began, Kubrick tried to have the script as complete as possible, but still allowed himself enough space to make changes during the filming, finding it "more profitable to avoid locking up any ideas about staging or camera or even dialogue prior to rehearsals" as he put it. Kubrick told Robert Emmett Ginna: "I think you have to view the entire problem of putting the story you want to tell up there on that light square. It begins with the selection of the property; it continues through the creation of the story, the sets, the costumes, the photography and the acting. And when the picture is shot, it's only partially finished. I think the cutting is just a continuation of directing a movie. I think the use of music effects, opticals and finally main titles are all part of telling the story. And I think the fragmentation of these jobs, by different people, is a very bad thing". Kubrick also said: "I think that the best plot is no apparent plot. I like a slow start, the start that gets under the audience's skin and involves them so that they can appreciate grace notes and soft tones and don't have to be pounded over the head with plot points and suspense tools."
Directing
Kubrick was notorious for demanding multiple takes during filming to perfect his art, and his relentless approach was often extremely demanding for his actors. Jack Nicholson remarked that Kubrick would often demand up to fifty takes of a scene. Nicole Kidman explains that the large number of takes he often required stopped actors from consciously thinking about technique, thereby helping them enter a "deeper place". Kubrick's high take ratio was considered by some critics as "irrational"; he firmly believed that actors were at their best during the filming, as opposed to rehearsals, due to the sense of intense excitement that it generates. Kubrick explained: "Actors are essentially emotion-producing instruments, and some are always tuned and ready while others will reach a fantastic pitch on one take and never equal it again, no matter how hard they try" ...
"When you make a movie, it takes a few days just to get used to the crew, because it is like getting undressed in front of fifty people. Once you're accustomed to them, the presence of even one other person on set is discordant and tends to produce self-consciousness in the actors, and certainly in itself". He also told biographer Michel Ciment: "It's invariably because the actors don't know their lines, or don't know them well enough. An actor can only do one thing at a time, and when he learned his lines only well enough to say them while he's thinking about them, he will always have trouble as soon as he has to work on the emotions of the scene or find camera marks. In a strong emotional scene, it is always best to be able to shoot in complete takes to allow the actor a continuity of emotion, and it is rare for most actors to reach their peak more than once or twice. There are, occasionally, scenes which benefit from extra takes, but even then, I'm not sure that the early takes aren't just glorified rehearsals with the adding adrenaline of film running through the camera."
Kubrick would devote his personal breaks to having lengthy discussions with actors. Among those who valued his attention was Tony Curtis, star of Spartacus, who said Kubrick was his favorite director, adding, "his greatest effectiveness was his one-on-one relationship with actors." He further added, "Kubrick had his own approach to film-making. He wanted to see the actor's faces. He didn't want cameras always in a wide shot twenty-five feet away, he wanted close-ups, he wanted to keep the camera moving. That was his style." Similarly, Malcolm McDowell recalls the long discussions he had with Kubrick to help him develop his character in A Clockwork Orange, noting that on set he felt entirely uninhibited and free, which is what made Kubrick "such a great director". Kubrick also allowed actors at times to improvise and to "break the rules", particularly with Peter Sellers in Lolita, which became a turning point in his career as it allowed him to work creatively during the shooting, as opposed to the preproduction stage.
During an interview, Ryan O'Neal recalled Kubrick's directing style: "God, he works you hard. He moves you, pushes you, helps you, gets cross with you, but above all he teaches you the value of a good director. Stanley brought out aspects of my personality and acting instincts that had been dormant ... My strong suspicion [was] that I was involved in something great". He further added that working with Kubrick was "a stunning experience" and that he never recovered from working with somebody of such magnificence.
Cinematography
Kubrick credited the ease with which he filmed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius".
Among Kubrick's innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible.
Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world.
Editing and music
Kubrick spent extensive hours editing, often working seven days a week, and more hours a day as he got closer to deadlines. For Kubrick, written dialogue was one element to be put in balance with mise en scène (set arrangements), music, and especially, editing. Inspired by Pudovkin's treatise on film editing, Kubrick realized that one could create a performance in the editing room and often "re-direct" a film, and he remarked: "I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of filmmaking ... Editing is the only unique aspect of filmmaking which does not resemble any other art form—a point so important it cannot be overstressed ... It can make or break a film". Biographer John Baxter stated that "Instead of finding the intellectual spine of a film in the script before starting work, Kubrick felt his way towards the final version of a film by shooting each scene from many angles and demanding scores of takes on each line. Then over months ... he arranged and rearranged the tens of thousands of scraps of film to fit a vision that really only began to emerge during editing".
Kubrick's attention to music was an aspect of what many referred to as his "perfectionism" and extreme attention to minute details, which his wife Christiane attributed to an addiction to music. In his last six films, Kubrick usually chose music from existing sources, especially classical compositions. He preferred selecting recorded music over having it composed for a film, believing that no hired composer could do as well as the public domain classical composers. He also felt that building scenes from great music often created the "most memorable scenes" in the best films. In one instance, for a scene in Barry Lyndon which was written into the screenplay as merely, "Barry duels with Lord Bullingdon", he spent forty-two working days in the editing phase. During that period, he listened to what LoBrutto describes as "every available recording of seventeenth-and eighteenth- century music, acquiring thousands of records to find Handel's sarabande used to score the scene". Nicholson likewise observed his attention to music, stating that Kubrick "listened constantly to music until he discovered something he felt was right or that excited him".
Kubrick is credited with introducing Hungarian composer György Ligeti to a broad Western audience by including his music in 2001, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. According to Baxter, the music in 2001 was "at the forefront of Kubrick's mind" when he conceived the film. During earlier screening he played music by Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams, and Kubrick and writer Clarke had listened to Carl Orff's transcription of Carmina Burana, consisting of 13th century sacred and secular songs. Ligeti's music employed the new style of micropolyphony, which used sustained dissonant chords that shift slowly over time, a style he originated. Its inclusion in the film became a "boon for the relatively unknown composer" partly because it was introduced alongside background by Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss.
In addition to Ligeti, Kubrick enjoyed a collaboration with composer Wendy Carlos, whose 1968 album Switched-On Bach—which re-interpreted baroque music through the use of a Moog synthesizer—caught his attention. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange. Additional music not used in the film was released in 1972 as Wendy Carlos's Clockwork Orange. Kubrick later collaborated with Carlos on The Shining (1980). The opening of the film employs Carlos' rendering of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.
Personal life
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz, a caricaturist, on May 29, 1948, when he was 19 years old. The couple lived together in Greenwich Village and divorced three years later in 1951. He met his second wife, the Austrian-born dancer and theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka, in 1952. They lived together in New York City's East Village beginning in 1952, married in January 1955 and moved to Hollywood in July 1955, where she played a brief part as a ballet dancer in Kubrick's film, Killer's Kiss (1955). The following year, she was art director for his film, The Killing (1956). They divorced in 1957.
During the production of Paths of Glory in Munich in early 1957, Kubrick met and romanced the German actress Christiane Harlan, who played a small though memorable role in the film. Kubrick married Harlan in 1958 and the couple remained together for 40 years, until his death in 1999. Besides his stepdaughter, they had two daughters together: Anya Renata (April 6, 1959 – July 7, 2009) and Vivian Vanessa (born August 5, 1960). In 1959, they settled into a home at 316 South Camden Drive in Beverly Hills with Harlan's daughter, Katherina, aged six. They also lived in New York City, during which time Christiane studied art at the Art Students League of New York, later becoming an independent artist. The couple moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to make Lolita, and Kubrick hired Peter Sellers to star in his next film, Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was unable to leave the UK, so Kubrick made Britain his permanent home thereafter. The move was quite convenient to Kubrick, since he shunned the Hollywood system and its publicity machine and he and Christiane had become alarmed with the increase in violence in New York City.
In 1965, the Kubricks bought Abbots Mead on Barnet Lane, just south-west of the Elstree/Borehamwood studio complex in England. Kubrick worked almost exclusively from this home for 14 years where, he researched, invented special effects techniques, designed ultra-low light lenses for specially modified cameras, pre-produced, edited, post-produced, advertised, distributed and carefully managed all aspects of four of his films. In 1978, Kubrick moved into Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, a mainly 18th-century stately home, which was once owned by a wealthy racehorse owner, about north of London and a 10-minute drive from his previous home at Abbotts Mead. His new home became a workplace for Kubrick and his wife, "a perfect family factory" as Christiane called it, and Kubrick converted the stables into extra production rooms besides ones within the home that he used for editing and storage.
A workaholic, Kubrick rarely took a vacation or left England during the forty years before his death. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's confined way of living and desire for privacy has led to spurious stories about his reclusiveness, similar to those of Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes and J. D. Salinger. Michael Herr, Kubrick's co-screenwriter on Full Metal Jacket, who knew him well, considers his "reclusiveness" to be myth: "[He] was in fact a complete failure as a recluse, unless you believe that a recluse is simply someone who seldom leaves his house. Stanley saw a lot of people ... he was one of the most gregarious men I ever knew and it didn't change anything that most of this conviviality went on over the phone." LoBrutto states that one of the reasons he acquired a reputation as a recluse was that he insisted in remaining near his home but the reason for this was that for Kubrick there were only three places on the planet he could make high quality films with the necessary technical expertise and equipment: Los Angeles, New York City or around London. He disliked living in Los Angeles and thought London a superior film production center to New York City.
As a person, Kubrick was described by Norman Lloyd as "a very dark, sort of a glowering type who was very serious". Marisa Berenson, who starred in Barry Lyndon, fondly recalled: "There was great tenderness in him and he was passionate about his work. What was striking was his enormous intelligence but he also had a great sense of humor. He was a very shy person and self-protective but he was filled with the thing that drove him twenty-four hours of the day." Kubrick was particularly fond of machines and technical equipment, to the point that his wife Christiane once stated that "Stanley would be happy with eight tape recorders and one pair of pants". Kubrick had obtained a pilot's license in August 1947 and some have claimed that he later developed a fear of flying, stemming from an incident in the early 1950s when a colleague was killed in a plane crash. Kubrick had been sent the charred remains of his camera and notebooks which, according to Duncan, traumatized him for life. Kubrick also had a strong mistrust of doctors and medicine.
Death
On March 7, 1999, six days after screening a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut for his family and the stars, Kubrick died in his sleep at the age of 70, suffering a heart attack. His funeral was held five days later at Childwickbury Manor, with only close friends and family in attendance, totaling about 100 people. The media were kept a mile away outside the entrance gate. Alexander Walker, who attended the funeral, described it as a "family farewell, ... almost like an English picnic", with cellists, clarinetists and singers providing song and music from many of his favorite classical compositions. Kaddish, the Jewish prayer typically said by mourners and in other contexts, was recited. A few of his obituaries mentioned his Jewish background. Among those who gave eulogies were Terry Semel, Jan Harlan, Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. He was buried next to his favorite tree on the estate. In her book dedicated to Kubrick, his wife Christiane included one of his favorite quotations of Oscar Wilde: "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old but that one is young."
Legacy
Cultural impact
Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, Kubrick's films are considered by film historian Michel Ciment to be "among the most important contributions to world cinema in the twentieth century", and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in the history of cinema. Leading directors, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, George Lucas, James Cameron, Terry Gilliam, the Coen brothers, Ridley Scott, and George A. Romero, have cited Kubrick as a source of inspiration, and additionally in the case of Spielberg and Scott, collaboration. On the DVD of Eyes Wide Shut, Steven Spielberg comments that the way Kubrick "tells a story is antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories" and that "nobody could shoot a picture better in history". Orson Welles, one of Kubrick's greatest personal influences and favorite directors, said that: "Among those whom I would call 'younger generation', Kubrick appears to me to be a giant."
Kubrick continues to be cited as a major influence by many directors, including Christopher Nolan, Todd Field, David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Tim Burton, Michael Mann, and Gaspar Noé. Many filmmakers imitate Kubrick's inventive and unique use of camera movement and framing, as well as his use of music, including Frank Darabont.
Artists in fields other than film have also expressed admiration for Kubrick. English musician and poet PJ Harvey, in an interview about her 2011 album Let England Shake, argued that "something about [...] what is not said in his films...there's so much space, so many things that are silent – and somehow, in that space and silence everything becomes clear. With every film, he seems to capture the essence of life itself, particularly in films like Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon...those are some of my favorites." The music video for Kanye West's 2010 song "Runaway" was inspired by Eyes Wide Shut. Pop singer Lady Gaga's concert shows have included the use of dialogue, costumes, and music from A Clockwork Orange.
Tributes
In 2000, BAFTA renamed their Britannia lifetime achievement award the "Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award", joining the likes of D. W. Griffith, Laurence Olivier, Cecil B. DeMille, and Irving Thalberg, all of whom have annual awards named after them. Kubrick won this award in 1999, and subsequent recipients have included George Lucas, Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Many people who worked with Kubrick on his films created the 2001 documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, produced and directed by Kubrick's brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, who had executive produced Kubrick's last four films.
The first public exhibition of material from Kubrick's personal archives was presented jointly in 2004 by the Deutsches Filmmuseum and Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Christiane Kubrick and Jan Harlan / The Stanley Kubrick Estate. In 2009, an exhibition of paintings and photos inspired by Kubrick's films was held in Dublin, Ireland, entitled "Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light". On October 30, 2012, an exhibition devoted to Kubrick opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and concluded in June 2013. Exhibits include a wide collection of documents, photographs and on-set material assembled from 800 boxes of personal archives that were stored in Kubrick's home-workplace in the UK. Many celebrities attended and spoke at the museum's pre-opening gala, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson, while Kubrick's widow, Christiane, appeared at the pre-gala press review. In October 2013, the Brazil São Paulo International Film Festival paid tribute to Kubrick, staging an exhibit of his work and a retrospective of his films. The exhibit opened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in late 2014 and ended in January 2015.
Kubrick is widely referenced in popular culture; for example, the TV series The Simpsons is said to contain more references to Kubrick films than any other pop culture phenomenon. When the Directors Guild of Great Britain gave Kubrick a lifetime achievement award, they included a cut-together sequence of all the homages from the show. Several works have been created that related to Kubrick's life, including the made-for-TV mockumentary Dark Side of the Moon (2002), which is a parody of the pervasive conspiracy theory that Kubrick had been involved with the faked footage of the NASA moon landings during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colour Me Kubrick (2005) was authorized by Kubrick's family and starred John Malkovich as Alan Conway, a con artist who had assumed Kubrick's identity in the 1990s. In the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Kubrick was portrayed by Stanley Tucci; the film documents the filming of Dr. Strangelove.
In April 2018, the month that marked the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the International Astronomical Union named the largest mountain of Pluto's moon Charon after Kubrick.
From October 2019 to March 2020, the Skirball Cultural Center hosted an exhibition called Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs, a show focusing on Kubrick's early career.
Accolades
See also
Filmworker, a documentary with Leon Vitali about his work with Kubrick
Hawk Films
Kubrick by Kubrick, a documentary directed by Gregory Monro and based on Michel Ciment's interviews
Stanley Kubrick Archive
Stanley Kubrick bibliography
Stanley Kubrick's Boxes Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures''
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Stanley Kubrick Collection
Stanley Kubrick at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
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Writers from Manhattan
Writers Guild of America Award winners | true | [
"Global Cinematography Institute (GCI) is a film school that teaches new emerging technologies and concepts in the field of cinematography. Founded by Yuri Neyman, ASC and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, the Global Cinematography Institute aims to prepare filmmakers to take advantage of on-going advances in digital and virtual cinematography technologies through an expansive and comprehensive curriculum known as Expanded Cinematography.\n\nHistory\n\nFounders \n\nThe Global Cinematography Institute was founded by cinematographers Yuri Neyman, ASC and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC. Zsigmond emigrated to the U.S. in 1957 after graduating from the Film Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Zsigmond won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on \"Close Encounters of the Third Kind\" with Steven Spielberg in 1977. Neyman came to the United States in the 1980s from Moscow, Russia and went on to make \"Liquid Sky\" and \"D.O.A.\" and more. Neyman and Zsigmond agree on the problems found in the field of current cinematography, and that a great deal of cinematographic knowledge is not being passed down, and as a result, cinematographers are losing power on-set and in post production to new emerging technologies.\n\nMission \n\nThe Global Cinematography Institute is an educational research and development entity focused on analyzing, preserving and predicting the roles of imagery. The aim of the school's curriculum is to give cinematographers mastery of both art and technology, so that they can assert that control over the images they capture on set, or in the computer. Art is a core concept at the Global Cinematography Institute. \"It is that mastery of the art side that separates the amateur from the professional\", Zsigmond has said. Everyone associated with the school believes that cinematography is an art, and technology is simply a set of tools that help to accomplish that art.\n\nCurriculum \n\nThe school is organized in sessions, each teaching about 10 students at a time. Curriculum emphasizes \"Expanded Cinematography\" which teaches students the basic technological skills necessary to direct imagery inside the 3D worlds of special effects, animation and video games. The school's emphasis is not primarily on technology. GCI offers students classes in \"Traditional Cinematography\" and \"Lighting and Composition\". Classes offered at the Global Cinematography Institute include \"Virtual Lighting\", \"Previsualization\", \"Cinematography for Small Budget/Indie Films”, “Virtual Cinematography\", \"On-Set Image Management\", \"Advanced Lighting for Feature Films\", \"Foundations of Lighting and Composition\", \"Digital Cinematography\", \"Career Management\", and \"Technology of Lighting\".\n\nExpanded Cinematography \n\nGCI uses the term Expanded Cinematography to refer to a curriculum of cinematography classes covering traditional and new concepts and techniques, including study in fields new to the cinematographer's profession, including video games, virtual lighting, previsualization, visual effects and more. \"We are devoted to preparing filmmakers through Expanded Cinematography to take advantage of on-going advances in digital and virtual cinematography technologies,\" says Neyman. Elsewhere, he says \"There must be further development of the cinematographer’s profession, making him or her a Cinematographer-Artist-Designer-Technologist who is able to comprehend and solve any tasks which modern production can put in front of them.\"\n\nTeachers\n\nFaculty \nClasses taught in parenthesis:\n\nVilmos Zsigmond, ASC (Lighting for Feature Films)\nYuri Neyman, ASC (Foundations of Lighting and Composition)\nDavid Stump, ASC (Digital Cinematography)\nJon Tower (Technology of Lighting)\nSylvain Doreau (Cinematography in Video Games)\nFred Durand (Digital Lighting)\nRon Fischer (Virtual Cinematography)\nJay Holben (Digital Cinematography, Cinematography for Independent Films)\nBob Kertesz (Image Management)\nJason Knutzen (Modern Tools and Concepts of Digital Imaging)\nKyle Murphey (Virtual Cinematography)\nAaron Peak (Image Management)\nBrian Pohl (Previsualization)\nChristopher Probst (Digital Cinematography, Cinematography for Independent Films)\n\nVisiting artists / guest instructors \nHaskell Wexler\nRussell Carpenter\nJames Chressanthis\nStuart Dryburgh\nMatthew Libatique\nSeamus McGarvey\nM. David Mullen\nSam Nicholson\nDante Spinotti\nTheo van de Sande\nGeoff Boyle\nZhenya Gershman\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n \n\nFilm schools in California\nCinematography organizations\nUniversities and colleges in Los Angeles\nEducational institutions established in 2012\nArts organizations established in 2012\n2012 establishments in California\nPrivate universities and colleges in California",
"William Howard Greene (1895–1956), sometimes billed as William H. Greene and W. Howard Greene, was an American cinematographer.\n\nCareer\n\nGreene was a cinematographer on many early Technicolor films, including Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1935) and A Star Is Born (1937).\n\nAwards\n\n 1937: Special Academy Award (with Harold Rosson) for color cinematography, The Garden of Allah (1936)\n 1938: Special Academy Award for color cinematography, A Star Is Born (1937)\n 1944: Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color, Phantom of the Opera (1943)\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\n W. Howard Greene at the American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films\n \n W. Howard Greene at Turner Classic Movies\n\nAcademy Honorary Award recipients\n1895 births\n1956 deaths\nAmerican cinematographers\nBest Cinematographer Academy Award winners"
]
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[
"Stanley Kubrick",
"Cinematography",
"What movie did Stanley do its cinematography?",
"I don't know.",
"Any important thing about the article?",
"The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry",
"Which is special about his cinematography?",
"using parallel lines in a scene"
]
| C_2159876f29b345e591d56c849ac47967_0 | Who did he work with? | 4 | Who did Stanley Kubrick work with? | Stanley Kubrick | Kubrick credited the ease with which he photographed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius". Among Kubrick's notable innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible. Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history. His films, almost all of which are adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their realism, dark humor, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music.
Kubrick was raised in the Bronx, New York City, and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. He received average grades, but displayed a keen interest in literature, photography, and film from a young age, and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s, he began making short films on shoestring budgets, and made his first major Hollywood film, The Killing, for United Artists in 1956. This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas: the war picture Paths of Glory (1957) and the historical epic Spartacus (1960).
Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios, a dislike of the Hollywood industry, and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he spent most of his remaining life and career. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which he shared with his wife Christiane, became his workplace, where he did his writing, research, editing, and management of production details. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios. His first productions in Britain were two films with Peter Sellers: Lolita (1962), an adaptation of the Vladimir Nabokov novel, and the Cold War black comedy Dr. Strangelove (1964).
A demanding perfectionist, Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process, from direction and writing to editing, and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes, working in close coordination with his actors, crew, and other collaborators. He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same shot in a movie, which resulted in many conflicts with his casts. Despite the resulting notoriety among actors, many of Kubrick's films broke new ground in cinematography. The scientific realism and innovative special effects of the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) were without precedent in the history of cinema, and the film earned him his only personal Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation's "big bang"; it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
While many of Kubrick's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release—particularly the brutal A Clockwork Orange (1971), which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy—most were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, and underwent critical reevaluations. For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon (1975), Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA, to film scenes under natural candlelight. With the horror film The Shining (1980), he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots, a technology vital to his Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket (1987). His last film, Eyes Wide Shut, was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70.
Early life
Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928, in the Lying-In Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family. He was the first of two children of Jacob Leonard Kubrick (May 21, 1902 – October 19, 1985), known as Jack or Jacques, and his wife Sadie Gertrude Kubrick ( Perveler; October 28, 1903 – April 23, 1985), known as Gert. His sister Barbara Mary Kubrick was born in May 1934. Jack Kubrick, whose parents and paternal grandparents were of Polish-Jewish, Austrian-Jewish, and Romanian-Jewish origin, was a homeopathic doctor, graduating from the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1927, the same year he married Kubrick's mother, the child of Austrian-Jewish immigrants. Kubrick's great-grandfather, Hersh Kubrick, arrived at Ellis Island via Liverpool by ship on December 27, 1899, at the age of 47, leaving behind his wife and two grown children, one of whom was Stanley's grandfather Elias, to start a new life with a younger woman. Elias Kubrick followed in 1902. At Stanley's birth the Kubricks lived in the Bronx. His parents married in a Jewish ceremony, but Kubrick did not have a religious upbringing and later professed an atheistic view of the universe. His father was a physician and, by the standards of the West Bronx, the family was fairly wealthy.
Soon after his sister's birth, Kubrick began schooling in Public School 3 in the Bronx and moved to Public School 90 in June 1938. His IQ was discovered to be above average but his attendance was poor. He displayed an interest in literature from a young age and began reading Greek and Roman myths and the fables of the Grimm brothers, which "instilled in him a lifelong affinity with Europe". He spent most Saturdays during the summer watching the New York Yankees and later photographed two boys watching the game in an assignment for Look magazine to emulate his own childhood excitement with baseball. When Kubrick was 12, his father Jack taught him chess. The game remained a lifelong interest of Kubrick's, appearing in many of his films. Kubrick, who later became a member of the United States Chess Federation, explained that chess helped him develop "patience and discipline" in making decisions. Aged 13, Kubrick's father bought him a Graflex camera, triggering a fascination with still photography. He befriended a neighbor, Marvin Traub, who shared his passion for photography. Traub had his own darkroom where he and the young Kubrick would spend many hours perusing photographs and watching the chemicals "magically make images on photographic paper". The two indulged in numerous photographic projects for which they roamed the streets looking for interesting subjects to capture and spent time in local cinemas studying films. Freelance photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig) had a considerable influence on Kubrick's development as a photographer; Kubrick later hired Fellig as the special stills photographer for Dr. Strangelove (1964). As a teenager, Kubrick was also interested in jazz and briefly attempted a career as a drummer.
Kubrick attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. Though he joined the school's photography club, which permitted him to photograph the school's events in their magazine, he was a mediocre student, with a 67/D+ grade average. Introverted and shy, Kubrick had a low attendance record and often skipped school to watch double-feature films. He graduated in 1945 but his poor grades, combined with the demand for college admissions from soldiers returning from the Second World War, eliminated any hope of higher education. Later in life Kubrick spoke disdainfully of his education and of American schooling as a whole, maintaining that schools were ineffective in stimulating critical thinking and student interest. His father was disappointed in his son's failure to achieve the excellence in school of which he knew Stanley was fully capable. Jack also encouraged Stanley to read from the family library at home, while permitting Stanley to take up photography as a serious hobby.
Photographic career
While in high school, Kubrick was chosen as an official school photographer. In the mid-1940s, since he was unable to gain admission to day session classes at colleges, he briefly attended evening classes at the City College of New York. Eventually, he sold a photographic series to Look magazine, which was printed on June 26, 1945. Kubrick supplemented his income by playing chess "for quarters" in Washington Square Park and various Manhattan chess clubs.
In 1946, he became an apprentice photographer for Look and later a full-time staff photographer. G. Warren Schloat, Jr., another new photographer for the magazine at the time, recalled that he thought Kubrick lacked the personality to make it as a director in Hollywood, remarking, "Stanley was a quiet fellow. He didn't say much. He was thin, skinny, and kind of poor—like we all were." Kubrick quickly became known for his story-telling in photographs. His first, published on April 16, 1946, was entitled "A Short Story from a Movie Balcony" and staged a fracas between a man and a woman, during which the man is slapped in the face, caught genuinely by surprise. In another assignment, 18 pictures were taken of various people waiting in a dental office. It has been said retrospectively that this project demonstrated an early interest of Kubrick in capturing individuals and their feelings in mundane environments. In 1948, he was sent to Portugal to document a travel piece, and covered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida.
A boxing enthusiast, Kubrick eventually began photographing boxing matches for the magazine. His earliest, "Prizefighter", was published on January 18, 1949, and captured a boxing match and the events leading up to it, featuring Walter Cartier. On April 2, 1949, he published photo essay "Chicago-City of Extremes" in Look, which displayed his talent early on for creating atmosphere with imagery. The following year, in July 1950, the magazine published his photo essay, "Working Debutante – Betsy von Furstenberg", which featured a Pablo Picasso portrait of Angel F. de Soto in the background. Kubrick was also assigned to photograph numerous jazz musicians, from Frank Sinatra and Erroll Garner to George Lewis, Eddie Condon, Phil Napoleon, Papa Celestin, Alphonse Picou, Muggsy Spanier, Sharkey Bonano, and others.
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz on May 28, 1948. They lived together in a small apartment at 36 West 16th Street, off Sixth Avenue just north of Greenwich Village. During this time, Kubrick began frequenting film screenings at the Museum of Modern Art and New York City cinemas. He was inspired by the complex, fluid camerawork of director Max Ophüls, whose films influenced Kubrick's visual style, and by the director Elia Kazan, whom he described as America's "best director" at that time, with his ability of "performing miracles" with his actors. Friends began to notice Kubrick had become obsessed with the art of filmmaking—one friend, David Vaughan, observed that Kubrick would scrutinize the film at the cinema when it went silent, and would go back to reading his paper when people started talking. He spent many hours reading books on film theory and writing notes. He was particularly inspired by Sergei Eisenstein and Arthur Rothstein, the photographic technical director of Look magazine.
Film career
Short films (1951–1953)
Kubrick shared a love of film with his school friend Alexander Singer, who after graduating from high school had the intention of directing a film version of Homer's Iliad. Through Singer, who worked in the offices of the newsreel production company, The March of Time, Kubrick learned it could cost $40,000 to make a proper short film, money he could not afford. He had $1500 in savings and produced a few short documentaries fueled by encouragement from Singer. He began learning all he could about filmmaking on his own, calling film suppliers, laboratories, and equipment rental houses.
Kubrick decided to make a short film documentary about boxer Walter Cartier, whom he had photographed and written about for Look magazine a year earlier. He rented a camera and produced a 16-minute black-and-white documentary, Day of the Fight. Kubrick found the money independently to finance it. He had considered asking Montgomery Clift to narrate it, whom he had met during a photographic session for Look, but settled on CBS news veteran Douglas Edwards. According to Paul Duncan the film was "remarkably accomplished for a first film", and used a backward tracking shot to film a scene in which Cartier and his brother walk towards the camera, a device which later became one of Kubrick's characteristic camera movements. Vincent Cartier, Walter's brother and manager, later reflected on his observations of Kubrick during the filming. He said, "Stanley was a very stoic, impassive but imaginative type person with strong, imaginative thoughts. He commanded respect in a quiet, shy way. Whatever he wanted, you complied, he just captivated you. Anybody who worked with Stanley did just what Stanley wanted". After a score was added by Singer's friend Gerald Fried, Kubrick had spent $3900 in making it, and sold it to RKO-Pathé for $4000, which was the most the company had ever paid for a short film at the time. Kubrick described his first effort at filmmaking as having been valuable since he believed himself to have been forced to do most of the work, and he later declared that the "best education in film is to make one".
Inspired by this early success, Kubrick quit his job at Look and visited professional filmmakers in New York City, asking many detailed questions about the technical aspects of filmmaking. He stated that he was given the confidence during this period to become a filmmaker because of the number of bad films he had seen, remarking, "I don't know a goddamn thing about movies, but I know I can make a better film than that". He began making Flying Padre (1951), a film which documents Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, who travels some 4,000 miles to visit his 11 churches. The film was originally going to be called "Sky Pilot", a pun on the slang term for a priest. During the course of the film, the priest performs a burial service, confronts a boy bullying a girl, and makes an emergency flight to aid a sick mother and baby into an ambulance. Several of the views from and of the plane in Flying Padre are later echoed in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) with the footage of the spacecraft, and a series of close-ups on the faces of people attending the funeral were most likely inspired by Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) and Ivan the Terrible (1944/1958).
Flying Padre was followed by The Seafarers (1953), Kubrick's first color film, which was shot for the Seafarers International Union in June 1953. It depicted the logistics of a democratic union and focused more on the amenities of seafaring other than the act. For the cafeteria scene in the film, Kubrick chose a dolly shot to establish the life of the seafarer's community; this kind of shot would later become a signature technique. The sequence of Paul Hall, secretary-treasurer of the SIU Atlantic and gulf district, speaking to members of the union echoes scenes from Eisenstein's Strike (1925) and October (1928). Day of the Fight, Flying Padre and The Seafarers constitute Kubrick's only surviving documentary works; some historians believe he made others.
Early feature work (1953–1955)
After raising $1000 showing his short films to friends and family, Kubrick found the finances to begin making his first feature film, Fear and Desire (1953), originally running with the title The Trap, written by his friend Howard Sackler. Kubrick's uncle, Martin Perveler, a Los Angeles pharmacy owner, invested a further $9000 on condition that he be credited as executive producer of the film. Kubrick assembled several actors and a small crew totaling 14 people (five actors, five crewmen, and four others to help transport the equipment) and flew to the San Gabriel Mountains in California for a five-week, low-budget shoot. Later renamed The Shape of Fear before finally being named Fear and Desire, it is a fictional allegory about a team of soldiers who survive a plane crash and are caught behind enemy lines in a war. During the course of the film, one of the soldiers becomes infatuated with an attractive girl in the woods and binds her to a tree. This scene is noted for its close-ups on the face of the actress. Kubrick had intended for Fear and Desire to be a silent picture in order to ensure low production costs; the added sounds, effects, and music ultimately brought production costs to around $53,000, exceeding the budget. He was bailed out by producer Richard de Rochemont on the condition that he help in de Rochemont's production of a five-part television series about Abraham Lincoln on location in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Fear and Desire was a commercial failure, but garnered several positive reviews upon release. Critics such as the reviewer from The New York Times believed that Kubrick's professionalism as a photographer shone through in the picture, and that he "artistically caught glimpses of the grotesque attitudes of death, the wolfishness of hungry men, as well as their bestiality, and in one scene, the wracking effect of lust on a pitifully juvenile soldier and the pinioned girl he is guarding". Columbia University scholar Mark Van Doren was highly impressed by the scenes with the girl bound to the tree, remarking that it would live on as a "beautiful, terrifying and weird" sequence which illustrated Kubrick's immense talent and guaranteed his future success. Kubrick himself later expressed embarrassment with Fear and Desire, and attempted over the years to keep prints of the film out of circulation. During the production of the film, Kubrick almost killed his cast with poisonous gasses by mistake.
Following Fear and Desire, Kubrick began working on ideas for a new boxing film. Due to the commercial failure of his first feature, Kubrick avoided asking for further investments, but commenced a film noir script with Howard O. Sackler. Originally under the title Kiss Me, Kill Me, and then The Nymph and the Maniac, Killer's Kiss (1955) is a 67-minute film noir about a young heavyweight boxer's involvement with a woman being abused by her criminal boss. Like Fear and Desire, it was privately funded by Kubrick's family and friends, with some $40,000 put forward from Bronx pharmacist Morris Bousse. Kubrick began shooting footage in Times Square, and frequently explored during the filming process, experimenting with cinematography and considering the use of unconventional angles and imagery. He initially chose to record the sound on location, but encountered difficulties with shadows from the microphone booms, restricting camera movement. His decision to drop the sound in favor of imagery was a costly one; after 12–14 weeks shooting the picture, he spent some seven months and $35,000 working on the sound.
Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) directly influenced the film with the painting laughing at a character, and Martin Scorsese has, in turn, cited Kubrick's innovative shooting angles and atmospheric shots in Killer's Kiss as an influence on Raging Bull (1980). Actress Irene Kane, the star of Killer's Kiss, observed: "Stanley's a fascinating character. He thinks movies should move, with a minimum of dialogue, and he's all for sex and sadism". Killer's Kiss met with limited commercial success and made very little money in comparison with its production budget of $75,000. Critics have praised the film's camerawork, but its acting and story are generally considered mediocre.
Hollywood success and beyond (1955–1962)
While playing chess in Washington Square, Kubrick met producer James B. Harris, who considered Kubrick "the most intelligent, most creative person I have ever come in contact with." The two formed the Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corporation in 1955. Harris purchased the rights to Lionel White's novel Clean Break for $10,000 and Kubrick wrote the script, but at Kubrick's suggestion, they hired film noir novelist Jim Thompson to write the dialog for the film—which became The Killing (1956)—about a meticulously planned racetrack robbery gone wrong. The film starred Sterling Hayden, who had impressed Kubrick with his performance in The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
Kubrick and Harris moved to Los Angeles and signed with the Jaffe Agency to shoot the picture, which became Kubrick's first full-length feature film shot with a professional cast and crew. The Union in Hollywood stated that Kubrick would not be permitted to be both the director and the cinematographer, resulting in the hiring of veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard. Kubrick agreed to waive his fee for the production, which was shot in 24 days on a budget of $330,000. He clashed with Ballard during the shooting, and on one occasion Kubrick threatened to fire Ballard following a camera dispute, despite being aged only 27 and 20 years Ballard's junior. Hayden recalled Kubrick was "cold and detached. Very mechanical, always confident. I've worked with few directors who are that good".
The Killing failed to secure a proper release across the United States; the film made little money, and was promoted only at the last minute, as a second feature to the Western movie Bandido! (1956). Several contemporary critics lauded the film, with a reviewer for Time comparing its camerawork to that of Orson Welles. Today, critics generally consider The Killing to be among the best films of Kubrick's early career; its nonlinear narrative and clinical execution also had a major influence on later directors of crime films, including Quentin Tarantino. Dore Schary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was highly impressed as well, and offered Kubrick and Harris $75,000 to write, direct, and produce a film, which ultimately became Paths of Glory (1957).
Paths of Glory, set during World War I, is based on Humphrey Cobb's 1935 antiwar novel. Schary was familiar with the novel, but stated that MGM would not finance another war picture, given their backing of the anti-war film The Red Badge of Courage (1951). After Schary was fired by MGM in a major shake-up, Kubrick and Harris managed to interest Kirk Douglas in playing Colonel Dax. Douglas, in turn, signed Harris-Kubrick Pictures to a three-picture co-production deal with his film production company, Bryna Productions, which secured a financing and distribution deal for Paths of Glory and two subsequent films with United Artists. The film, shot in Munich, from March 1957, follows a French army unit ordered on an impossible mission, and follows with a war trial of three soldiers, arbitrarily chosen, for misconduct. Dax is assigned to defend the men at Court Martial. For the battle scene, Kubrick meticulously lined up six cameras one after the other along the boundary of no-man's land, with each camera capturing a specific field and numbered, and gave each of the hundreds of extras a number for the zone in which they would die. Kubrick operated an Arriflex camera for the battle, zooming in on Douglas. Paths of Glory became Kubrick's first significant commercial success, and established him as an up-and-coming young filmmaker. Critics praised the film's unsentimental, spare, and unvarnished combat scenes and its raw, black-and-white cinematography. Despite the praise, the Christmas release date was criticized, and the subject was controversial in Europe. The film was banned in France until 1974 for its "unflattering" depiction of the French military, and was censored by the Swiss Army until 1970.
In October 1957, after Paths of Glory had its world premiere in Germany, Bryna Productions optioned Canadian church minister-turned-master-safecracker Herbert Emerson Wilsons's autobiography, I Stole $16,000,000, especially for Stanley Kubrick and James B. Harris. The picture was to be the second in the co-production deal between Bryna Productions and Harris-Kubrick Pictures, which Kubrick was to write and direct, Harris to co-produce and Douglas to co-produce and star. In November 1957, Gavin Lambert was signed as story editor for I Stole $16,000,000, and with Kubrick, finished a script titled God Fearing Man, but the picture was never filmed.
Marlon Brando contacted Kubrick, asking him to direct a film adaptation of the Charles Neider western novel, The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones, featuring Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Brando was impressed, saying "Stanley is unusually perceptive, and delicately attuned to people. He has an adroit intellect, and is a creative thinker—not a repeater, not a fact-gatherer. He digests what he learns and brings to a new project an original point of view and a reserved passion". The two worked on a script for six months, begun by a then unknown Sam Peckinpah. Many disputes broke out over the project, and in the end, Kubrick distanced himself from what would become One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
In February 1959, Kubrick received a phone call from Kirk Douglas asking him to direct Spartacus (1960), based on the historical Spartacus and the Third Servile War. Douglas had acquired the rights to the novel by Howard Fast and blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo began penning the script. It was produced by Douglas, who also starred as Spartacus, and cast Laurence Olivier as his foe, the Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus. Douglas hired Kubrick for a reported $150,000 fee to take over direction soon after he fired director Anthony Mann. Kubrick had, at 31, already directed four feature films, and this became his largest by far, with a cast of over 10,000 and a budget of $6 million. At the time, this was the most expensive film ever made in America, and Kubrick became the youngest director in Hollywood history to make an epic. It was the first time that Kubrick filmed using the anamorphic 35mm horizontal Super Technirama process to achieve ultra-high definition, which allowed him to capture large panoramic scenes, including one with 8,000 trained soldiers from Spain representing the Roman army.
Disputes broke out during the filming of Spartacus. Kubrick complained about not having full creative control over the artistic aspects, insisting on improvising extensively during the production. Kubrick and Douglas were also at odds over the script, with Kubrick angering Douglas when he cut all but two of his lines from the opening 30 minutes. Despite the on-set troubles, Spartacus took $14.6 million at the box office in its first run. The film established Kubrick as a major director, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning four; it ultimately convinced him that if so much could be made of such a problematic production, he could achieve anything. Spartacus also marked the end of the working relationship between Kubrick and Douglas.
Collaboration with Peter Sellers (1962–1964)
Lolita
Kubrick and Harris decided to film Kubrick's next movie Lolita (1962) in England, due to clauses placed on the contract by producers Warner Bros. that gave them complete control over the film, and the fact that the Eady plan permitted producers to write off the costs if 80% of the crew were British. Instead, they signed a $1 million deal with Eliot Hyman's Associated Artists Productions, and a clause which gave them the artistic freedom that they desired. Lolita, Kubrick's first attempt at black comedy, was an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov, the story of a middle-aged college professor becoming infatuated with a 12-year-old girl. Stylistically, Lolita, starring Peter Sellers, James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Sue Lyon, was a transitional film for Kubrick, "marking the turning point from a naturalistic cinema ... to the surrealism of the later films", according to film critic Gene Youngblood. Kubrick was impressed by the range of actor Peter Sellers and gave him one of his first opportunities to improvise wildly during shooting, while filming him with three cameras.
Kubrick shot Lolita over 88 days on a $2 million budget at Elstree Studios, between October 1960 and March 1961. Kubrick often clashed with Shelley Winters, whom he found "very difficult" and demanding, and nearly fired at one point. Because of its provocative story, Lolita was Kubrick's first film to generate controversy; he was ultimately forced to comply with censors and remove much of the erotic element of the relationship between Mason's Humbert and Lyon's Lolita which had been evident in Nabokov's novel. The film was not a major critical or commercial success, earning $3.7 million at the box office on its opening run. Lolita has since become critically acclaimed.
Dr. Strangelove
Kubrick's next project was Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), another satirical black comedy. Kubrick became preoccupied with the issue of nuclear war as the Cold War unfolded in the 1950s, and even considered moving to Australia because he feared that New York City might be a likely target for the Russians. He studied over 40 military and political research books on the subject and eventually reached the conclusion that "nobody really knew anything and the whole situation was absurd".
After buying the rights to the novel Red Alert, Kubrick collaborated with its author, Peter George, on the script. It was originally written as a serious political thriller, but Kubrick decided that a "serious treatment" of the subject would not be believable, and thought that some of its most salient points would be fodder for comedy. Kubrick's longtime producer-and-friend, James B. Harris, thought the film should be serious, and the two parted ways, amicably, over this disagreement—Harris going on to produce and direct the serious cold-war thriller The Bedford Incident. Kubrick and Red Alert author George then reworked the script as a satire (provisionally titled "The Delicate Balance of Terror") in which the plot of Red Alert was situated as a film-within-a-film made by an alien intelligence, but this idea was also abandoned, and Kubrick decided to make the film as "an outrageous black comedy".
Just before filming began, Kubrick hired noted journalist and satirical author Terry Southern to transform the script into its final form, a black comedy, loaded with sexual innuendo, becoming a film which showed Kubrick's talents as a "unique kind of absurdist" according to the film scholar Abrams. Southern made major contributions to the final script, and was co-credited (above Peter George) in the film's opening titles; his perceived role in the writing later led to a public rift between Kubrick and Peter George, who subsequently complained in a letter to Life magazine that Southern's intense but relatively brief (November 16 to December 28, 1962) involvement with the project was being given undue prominence in the media, while his own role as the author of the film's source novel, and his ten-month stint as the script's co-writer, were being downplayed – a perception Kubrick evidently did little to address.
Kubrick found that Dr. Strangelove, a $2 million production which employed what became the "first important visual effects crew in the world", would be impossible to make in the U.S. for various technical and political reasons, forcing him to move production to England. It was shot in 15 weeks, ending in April 1963, after which Kubrick spent eight months editing it. Peter Sellers again agreed to work with Kubrick, and ended up playing three different roles in the film.
Upon release, the film stirred up much controversy and mixed opinions. The New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther worried that it was a "discredit and even contempt for our whole defense establishment ... the most shattering sick joke I've ever come across", while Robert Brustein of Out of This World in a February 1970 article called it a "juvenalian satire". Kubrick responded to the criticism, stating: "A satirist is someone who has a very skeptical view of human nature, but who still has the optimism to make some sort of a joke out of it. However brutal that joke might be". Today, the film is considered to be one of the sharpest comedy films ever made, and holds a near-perfect 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews . It was named the 39th-greatest American film and third-greatest American comedy film of all time by the American Film Institute, and in 2010, it was named the sixth-best comedy film of all time by The Guardian.
Ground-breaking cinema (1965–1971)
Kubrick spent five years developing his next film, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), having been highly impressed with science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End, about a superior alien race who assist mankind in eliminating their old selves. After meeting Clarke in New York City in April 1964, Kubrick made the suggestion to work on his 1948 short story The Sentinel, in which a monolith found on the Moon alerts aliens of mankind. That year, Clarke began writing the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and collaborated with Kubrick on a screenplay. The film's theme, the birthing of one intelligence by another, is developed in two parallel intersecting stories on two different time scales. One depicts evolutionary transitions between various stages of man, from ape to "star child", as man is reborn into a new existence, each step shepherded by an enigmatic alien intelligence seen only in its artifacts: a series of seemingly indestructible eons-old black monoliths. In space, the enemy is a supercomputer known as HAL who runs the spaceship, a character which novelist Clancy Sigal described as being "far, far more human, more humorous and conceivably decent than anything else that may emerge from this far-seeing enterprise".
Kubrick intensively researched for the film, paying particular attention to accuracy and detail in what the future might look like. He was granted permission by NASA to observe the spacecraft being used in the Ranger 9 mission for accuracy. Filming commenced on December 29, 1965, with the excavation of the monolith on the moon, and footage was shot in Namib Desert in early 1967, with the ape scenes completed later that year. The special effects team continued working until the end of the year to complete the film, taking the cost to $10.5 million. 2001: A Space Odyssey was conceived as a Cinerama spectacle and was photographed in Super Panavision 70, giving the viewer a "dazzling mix of imagination and science" through ground-breaking effects, which earned Kubrick his only personal Oscar, an Academy Award for Visual Effects. Kubrick said of the concept of the film in an interview with Rolling Stone: "On the deepest psychological level, the film's plot symbolized the search for God, and finally postulates what is little less than a scientific definition of God. The film revolves around this metaphysical conception, and the realistic hardware and the documentary feelings about everything were necessary in order to undermine your built-in resistance to the poetical concept".
Upon release in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was not an immediate hit among critics, who faulted its lack of dialog, slow pacing, and seemingly impenetrable storyline. The film appeared to defy genre convention, much unlike any science-fiction movie before it, and clearly different from any of Kubrick's earlier works. Kubrick was particularly outraged by a scathing review from Pauline Kael, who called it "the biggest amateur movie of them all", with Kubrick doing "really every dumb thing he ever wanted to do". Despite mixed contemporary critical reviews, 2001 gradually gained popularity and earned $31 million worldwide by the end of 1972. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential films ever made and is a staple on All Time Top 10 lists. Baxter describes the film as "one of the most admired and discussed creations in the history of cinema", and Steven Spielberg has referred to it as "the big bang of his film making generation". For biographer Vincent LoBrutto it "positioned Stanley Kubrick as a pure artist ranked among the masters of cinema".
After completing 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick searched for a project that he could film quickly on a more modest budget. He settled on A Clockwork Orange (1971) at the end of 1969, an exploration of violence and experimental rehabilitation by law enforcement authorities, based around the character of Alex (portrayed by Malcolm McDowell). Kubrick had received a copy of Anthony Burgess's novel of the same name from Terry Southern while they were working on Dr. Strangelove, but had rejected it on the grounds that Nadsat, a street language for young teenagers, was too difficult to comprehend. The decision to make a film about the degeneration of youth reflected contemporary concerns in 1969; the New Hollywood movement was creating a great number of films that depicted the sexuality and rebelliousness of young people. A Clockwork Orange was shot over 1970–1971 on a budget of £2 million. Kubrick abandoned his use of CinemaScope in filming, deciding that the 1.66:1 widescreen format was, in the words of Baxter, an "acceptable compromise between spectacle and intimacy", and favored his "rigorously symmetrical framing", which "increased the beauty of his compositions". The film heavily features "pop erotica" of the period, including a giant white plastic set of male genitals, decor which Kubrick had intended to give it a "slightly futuristic" look. McDowell's role in Lindsay Anderson's if.... (1968) was crucial to his casting as Alex, and Kubrick professed that he probably would not have made the film if McDowell had been unavailable.
Because of its depiction of teenage violence, A Clockwork Orange became one of the most controversial films of its time, and part of an ongoing debate about violence and its glorification in cinema. It received an X rating, or certificate, in both the UK and US, on its release just before Christmas 1971, though many critics saw much of the violence depicted in the film as satirical, and less violent than Straw Dogs, which had been released a month earlier. Kubrick personally pulled the film from release in the United Kingdom after receiving death threats following a series of copycat crimes based on the film; it was thus completely unavailable legally in the UK until after Kubrick's death, and not re-released until 2000. John Trevelyan, the censor of the film, personally considered A Clockwork Orange to be "perhaps the most brilliant piece of cinematic art I've ever seen," and believed it to present an "intellectual argument rather than a sadistic spectacle" in its depiction of violence, but acknowledged that many would not agree. Negative media hype over the film notwithstanding, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing, and was named by the New York Film Critics Circle as the Best Film of 1971. After William Friedkin won Best Director for The French Connection that year, he told the press: "Speaking personally, I think Stanley Kubrick is the best American film-maker of the year. In fact, not just this year, but the best, period."
Period and horror filming (1972–1980)
Barry Lyndon (1975) is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's The Luck of Barry Lyndon, a picaresque novel about the adventures of an 18th-century Irish rogue and social climber. John Calley of Warner Bros. agreed in 1972 to invest $2.5 million into the film, on condition that Kubrick approach major Hollywood stars, to ensure success. Like previous films, Kubrick and his art department conducted an enormous amount of research on the 18th century. Extensive photographs were taken of locations and artwork in particular, and paintings were meticulously replicated from works of the great masters of the period in the film. The film was shot on location in Ireland, beginning in the autumn of 1973, at a cost of $11 million with a cast and crew of 170. The decision to shoot in Ireland stemmed from the fact that it still retained many buildings from the 18th century period which England lacked. The production was problematic from the start, plagued with heavy rain and political strife involving Northern Ireland at the time. After Kubrick received death threats from the IRA in 1974 due to the shooting scenes with English soldiers, he fled Ireland with his family on a ferry from Dún Laoghaire under an assumed identity and resumed filming in England.
Baxter notes that Barry Lyndon was the film which made Kubrick notorious for paying scrupulous attention to detail, often demanding twenty or thirty retakes of the same scene to perfect his art. Often considered to be his most authentic-looking picture, the cinematography and lighting techniques that Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott used in Barry Lyndon were highly innovative. Interior scenes were shot with a specially adapted high-speed f/0.7 Zeiss camera lens originally developed for NASA to be used in satellite photography. The lenses allowed many scenes to be lit only with candlelight, creating two-dimensional, diffused-light images reminiscent of 18th-century paintings. Cinematographer Allen Daviau states that the method gives the audience a way of seeing the characters and scenes as they would have been seen by people at the time. Many of the fight scenes were shot with a hand-held camera to produce a "sense of documentary realism and immediacy".
Barry Lyndon found a great audience in France, but was a box office failure, grossing just $9.5 million in the American market, not even close to the $30 million Warner Bros. needed to generate a profit. The pace and length of Barry Lyndon at three hours put off many American critics and audiences, but the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score, more than any other Kubrick film. As with most of Kubrick's films, Barry Lyndon'''s reputation has grown through the years and it is now considered to be one of his best, particularly among filmmakers and critics. Numerous polls, such as The Village Voice (1999), Sight & Sound (2002), and Time (2005), have rated it as one of the greatest films ever made. , it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews. Roger Ebert referred to it as "one of the most beautiful films ever made ... certainly in every frame a Kubrick film: technically awesome, emotionally distant, remorseless in its doubt of human goodness".The Shining, released in 1980, was adapted from the novel of the same name by bestselling horror writer Stephen King. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who takes a job as a winter caretaker of an isolated hotel in the Rocky Mountains. He spends the winter there with his wife, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, who displays paranormal abilities. During their stay, they confront both Jack's descent into madness and apparent supernatural horrors lurking in the hotel. Kubrick gave his actors freedom to extend the script and even improvise on occasion, and as a result, Nicholson was responsible for the 'Here's Johnny!' line and the scene in which he's sitting at the typewriter and unleashes his anger upon his wife. Kubrick often demanded up to 70 or 80 retakes of the same scene. Duvall, whom Kubrick intentionally isolated and argued with, was forced to perform the exhausting baseball bat scene 127 times. The bar scene with the ghostly bartender was shot 36 times, while the kitchen scene between the characters of Danny (Danny Lloyd) and Halloran (Scatman Crothers) ran to 148 takes. The aerial shots of the Overlook Hotel were shot at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, while the interiors of the hotel were shot at Elstree Studios in England between May 1978 and April 1979. Cardboard models were made of all of the sets of the film, and the lighting of them was a massive undertaking, which took four months of electrical wiring. Kubrick made extensive use of the newly invented Steadicam, a weight-balanced camera support, which allowed for smooth hand-held camera movement in scenes where a conventional camera track was impractical. According to Garrett Brown, Steadicam's inventor, it was the first picture to use its full potential. The Shining was not the only horror film to which Kubrick had been linked; he had turned down the directing of both The Exorcist (1973) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), despite once saying in 1966 to a friend that he had long desired to "make the world's scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience".
Five days after release on May 23, 1980, Kubrick ordered the deletion of a final scene, in which the hotel manager Ullman (Barry Nelson) visits Wendy (Shelley Duvall) in hospital, believing it unnecessary after witnessing the audience excitement in cinemas at the film's climax. The Shining opened to strong box office takings, earning $1 million on the first weekend and earning $30.9 million in America by the end of the year. The original critical response was mixed, and King detested the film and disliked Kubrick. The Shining is now considered to be a horror classic, and the American Film Institute has ranked it as the 27th greatest thriller film of all time.
Later work and final years (1981–1999)
Kubrick met author Michael Herr through mutual friend David Cornwell (novelist John le Carré) in 1980, and became interested in his book Dispatches, about the Vietnam War. Herr had recently written Martin Sheen's narration for Apocalypse Now (1979). Kubrick was also intrigued by Gustav Hasford's Vietnam War novel The Short-Timers. With the vision in mind to shoot what would become Full Metal Jacket (1987), Kubrick began working with both Herr and Hasford separately on a script. He eventually found Hasford's novel to be "brutally honest" and decided to shoot a film which closely follows the novel. All of the film was shot at a cost of $17 million within a 30-mile radius of his house between August 1985 and September 1986, later than scheduled as Kubrick shut down production for five months following a near-fatal accident with a jeep involving Lee Ermey. A derelict gasworks in Beckton in the London Docklands area posed as the ruined city of Huế, which makes the film visually very different from other Vietnam War films. Around 200 palm trees were imported via 40-foot trailers by road from North Africa, at a cost of £1000 a tree, and thousands of plastic plants were ordered from Hong Kong to provide foliage for the film. Kubrick explained he made the film look realistic by using natural light, and achieved a "newsreel effect" by making the Steadicam shots less steady, which reviewers and commentators thought contributed to the bleakness and seriousness of the film.
According to critic Michel Ciment, the film contained some of Kubrick's trademark characteristics, such as his selection of ironic music, portrayals of men being dehumanized, and attention to extreme detail to achieve realism. In a later scene, United States Marines patrol the ruins of an abandoned and destroyed city singing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club as a sardonic counterpoint. The film opened strongly in June 1987, taking over $30 million in the first 50 days alone, but critically it was overshadowed by the success of Oliver Stone's Platoon, released a year earlier. Co-star Matthew Modine stated one of Kubrick's favorite reviews read: "The first half of FMJ is brilliant. Then the film degenerates into a masterpiece." Roger Ebert was not particularly impressed with it, awarding it a mediocre 2.5 out of 4. He concluded: "Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket is more like a book of short stories than a novel", a "strangely shapeless film from the man whose work usually imposes a ferociously consistent vision on his material".
Kubrick's final film was Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a Manhattan couple on a sexual odyssey. Tom Cruise portrays a doctor who witnesses a bizarre masked quasireligious orgiastic ritual at a country mansion, a discovery which later threatens his life. The story is based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 Freudian novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story in English), which Kubrick relocated from turn-of-the-century Vienna to New York City in the 1990s. Kubrick said of the novel: "A difficult book to describe—what good book isn't. It explores the sexual ambivalence of a happy marriage and tries to equate the importance of sexual dreams and might-have-beens with reality. All of Schnitzler's work is psychologically brilliant". Kubrick was almost 70, but worked relentlessly for 15 months to get the film out by its planned release date of July 16, 1999. He commenced a script with Frederic Raphael, and worked 18 hours a day, while maintaining complete confidentiality about the film.Eyes Wide Shut, like Lolita and A Clockwork Orange before it, faced censorship before release. Kubrick sent an unfinished preview copy to the stars and producers a few months before release, but his sudden death on March 7, 1999, came a few days after he finished editing. He never saw the final version released to the public, but he did see the preview of the film with Warner Bros., Cruise, and Kidman, and had reportedly told Warner executive Julian Senior that it was his "best film ever". At the time, critical opinion of the film was mixed, and it was viewed less favorably than most of Kubrick's films. Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, comparing the structure to a thriller and writing that it is "like an erotic daydream about chances missed and opportunities avoided", and thought that Kubrick's use of lighting at Christmas made the film "all a little garish, like an urban sideshow". Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post disliked the film, writing that it "is actually sad, rather than bad. It feels creaky, ancient, hopelessly out of touch, infatuated with the hot taboos of his youth and unable to connect with that twisty thing contemporary sexuality has become."
Unfinished and unrealized projects
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Kubrick collaborated with Brian Aldiss on expanding his short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" into a three-act film. It was a futuristic fairy tale about a robot that resembles and behaves as a child, and his efforts to become a 'real boy' in a manner similar to Pinocchio. Kubrick approached Spielberg in 1995 with the AI script with the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing it and Kubrick producing it. Kubrick reportedly held long telephone discussions with Spielberg regarding the film, and, according to Spielberg, at one point stated that the subject matter was closer to Spielberg's sensibilities than his.
Following Kubrick's 1999 death, Spielberg took the drafts and notes left by Kubrick and his writers and composed a new screenplay based on an earlier 90-page story treatment by Ian Watson written under Kubrick's supervision and specifications. In association with what remained of Kubrick's production unit, he directed the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) which was produced by Kubrick's longtime producer (and brother-in-law) Jan Harlan. Sets, costumes, and art direction were based on the works of conceptual artist Chris Baker, who had also done much of his work under Kubrick's supervision.
Spielberg was able to function autonomously in Kubrick's absence, but said he felt "inhibited to honor him", and followed Kubrick's visual schema with as much fidelity as he could. Spielberg, who once referred to Kubrick as "the greatest master I ever served", now with production underway, admitted, "I felt like I was being coached by a ghost." The film was released in June 2001. It contains a posthumous production credit for Stanley Kubrick at the beginning and the brief dedication "For Stanley Kubrick" at the end. John Williams's score contains many allusions to pieces heard in other Kubrick films.
Napoleon
Following 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick planned to make a film about the life of Napoleon. Fascinated by the French leader's life and "self-destruction", Kubrick spent a great deal of time planning the film's development and conducted about two years of research into Napoleon's life, reading several hundred books and gaining access to his personal memoirs and commentaries. He tried to see every film about Napoleon and found none of them appealing, including Abel Gance's 1927 film which is generally considered to be a masterpiece, but for Kubrick, a "really terrible" movie. LoBrutto states that Napoleon was an ideal subject for Kubrick, embracing Kubrick's "passion for control, power, obsession, strategy, and the military", while Napoleon's psychological intensity and depth, logistical genius and war, sex, and the evil nature of man were all ingredients which deeply appealed to Kubrick.
Kubrick drafted a screenplay in 1961, and envisaged making a "grandiose" epic, with up to 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. He intended hiring the armed forces of an entire country to make the film, as he considered Napoleonic battles to be "so beautiful, like vast lethal ballets", with an "aesthetic brilliance that doesn't require a military mind to appreciate". He wanted them replicated as authentically as possible on screen. Kubrick sent research teams to scout for locations across Europe, and commissioned screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, one of his young assistants on 2001, to the Isle of Elba, Austerlitz, and Waterloo, taking thousands of pictures for his later perusal. Kubrick approached numerous stars to play leading roles, including Audrey Hepburn for Empress Josephine, a part which she could not accept due to semiretirement.
British actors David Hemmings and Ian Holm were considered for the lead role of Napoleon, before Jack Nicholson was cast. The film was well into preproduction and ready to begin filming in 1969 when MGM cancelled the project. Numerous reasons have been cited for the abandonment of the project, including its projected cost, a change of ownership at MGM, and the poor reception that the 1970 Soviet film about Napoleon, Waterloo, received. In 2011, Taschen published the book Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made, a large volume compilation of literature and source documents from Kubrick, such as scene photo ideas and copies of letters Kubrick wrote and received. In March 2013, Steven Spielberg, who previously collaborated with Kubrick on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and is a passionate admirer of his work, announced that he would be developing Napoleon as a TV miniseries based on Kubrick's original screenplay.
Other projects
In the 1950s, Kubrick and Harris developed a sitcom starring Ernie Kovacs and a film adaption of the book I Stole $16,000,000, but nothing came of them. Tony Frewin, an assistant who worked with the director for a long period of time, revealed in a 2013 Atlantic article: "[Kubrick] was limitlessly interested in anything to do with Nazis and desperately wanted to make a film on the subject." Kubrick had intended to make a film about , a Nazi officer who used the pen name "Dr. Jazz" to write reviews of German music scenes during the Nazi era. Kubrick had been given a copy of the Mike Zwerin book Swing Under the Nazis after he had finished production on Full Metal Jacket, the front cover of which featured a photograph of Schulz-Köhn. A screenplay was never completed and Kubrick's adaptation was never initiated. The unfinished Aryan Papers, based on Louis Begley's debut novel Wartime Lies, was a factor in the abandonment of the project. Work on Aryan Papers depressed Kubrick enormously, and he eventually decided that Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) covered much of the same material.
According to biographer John Baxter, Kubrick had shown an interest in directing a pornographic film based on a satirical novel written by Terry Southern, titled Blue Movie, about a director who makes Hollywood's first big-budget porn film. Baxter claims that Kubrick concluded he did not have the patience or temperament to become involved in the porn industry, and Southern stated that Kubrick was "too ultra conservative" towards sexuality to have gone ahead with it, but liked the idea. Kubrick was unable to direct a film of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum as Eco had given his publisher instructions to never sell the film rights to any of his books after his dissatisfaction with the film version of The Name of the Rose. Also, when the film rights to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings were sold to United Artists, the Beatles approached Kubrick to direct them in a film adaptation, but Kubrick was unwilling to produce a film based on a very popular book.
Career influences
As a young man, Kubrick was fascinated by the films of Soviet filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin. Kubrick read Pudovkin's seminal theoretical work, Film Technique, which argues that editing makes film a unique art form, and it needs to be employed to manipulate the medium to its fullest. Kubrick recommended this work to others for many years. Thomas Nelson describes this book as "the greatest influence of any single written work on the evolution of [Kubrick's] private aesthetics". Kubrick also found the ideas of Konstantin Stanislavski to be essential to his understanding the basics of directing, and gave himself a crash course to learn his methods.
Kubrick's family and many critics felt that his Jewish ancestry may have contributed to his worldview and aspects of his films. After his death, both his daughter and wife stated that he was not religious, but "did not deny his Jewishness, not at all". His daughter noted that he wanted to make a film about the Holocaust, the Aryan Papers, having spent years researching the subject. Most of Kubrick's friends and early photography and film collaborators were Jewish, and his first two marriages were to daughters of recent Jewish immigrants from Europe. British screenwriter Frederic Raphael, who worked closely with Kubrick in his final years, believes that the originality of Kubrick's films was partly because he "had a (Jewish?) respect for scholars". He declared that it was "absurd to try to understand Stanley Kubrick without reckoning on Jewishness as a fundamental aspect of his mentality".
Walker notes that Kubrick was influenced by the tracking and "fluid camera" styles of director Max Ophüls, and used them in many of his films, including Paths of Glory and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick noted how in Ophuls' films "the camera went through every wall and every floor". He once named Ophüls' Le Plaisir (1952) as his favorite film. According to film historian John Wakeman, Ophüls himself learned the technique from director Anatole Litvak in the 1930s, when he was his assistant, and whose work was "replete with the camera trackings, pans and swoops which later became the trademark of Max Ophüls". Geoffrey Cocks believes that Kubrick was also influenced by Ophüls' stories of thwarted love and a preoccupation with predatory men, while Herr notes that Kubrick was deeply inspired by G. W. Pabst, who earlier tried, but was unable to adapt Schnitzler's Traumnovelle, the basis of Eyes Wide Shut. Film critic Robert Kolker sees the influence of Welles' moving camera shots on Kubrick's style. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick identified with Welles and that this influenced the making of The Killing, with its "multiple points of view, extreme angles, and deep focus".
Kubrick admired the work of Ingmar Bergman and expressed it in personal letter: "Your vision of life has moved me deeply, much more deeply than I have ever been moved by any films. I believe you are the greatest film-maker at work today [...], unsurpassed by anyone in the creation of mood and atmosphere, the subtlety of performance, the avoidance of the obvious, the truthfulness and completeness of characterization. To this one must also add everything else that goes into the making of a film; [...] and I shall look forward with eagerness to each of your films."
When the American magazine Cinema asked Kubrick in 1963 to name his favorite films, he listed Italian director Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni as number one in his Top 10 list.
Directing techniques
Philosophy
Kubrick's films typically involve expressions of an inner struggle, examined from different perspectives.
He was very careful not to present his own views of the meaning of his films and to leave them open to interpretation. He explained in a 1960 interview with Robert Emmett Ginna:
"One of the things I always find extremely difficult, when a picture's finished, is when a writer or a film reviewer asks, 'Now, what is it that you were trying to say in that picture?' And without being thought too presumptuous for using this analogy, I like to remember what T. S. Eliot said to someone who had asked him—I believe it was The Waste Land—what he meant by the poem. He replied, 'I meant what I said.' If I could have said it any differently, I would have".
Kubrick likened the understanding of his films to popular music, in that whatever the background or intellect of the individual, a Beatles record, for instance, can be appreciated both by the Alabama truck driver and the young Cambridge intellectual, because their "emotions and subconscious are far more similar than their intellects". He believed that the subconscious emotional reaction experienced by audiences was far more powerful in the film medium than in any other traditional verbal form, and was one of the reasons why he often relied on long periods in his films without dialogue, placing emphasis on images and sound. In a 1975 Time magazine interview, Kubrick further stated: "The essence of a dramatic form is to let an idea come over people without it being plainly stated. When you say something directly, it is simply not as potent as it is when you allow people to discover it for themselves." He also said: "Realism is probably the best way to dramatize argument and ideas. Fantasy may deal best with themes which lie primarily in the unconscious".
Diane Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Shining with Kubrick, notes that he "always said that it was better to adapt a book rather than write an original screenplay, and that you should choose a work that isn't a masterpiece so you can improve on it. Which is what he's always done, except with Lolita". When deciding on a subject for a film, there were many aspects that he looked for, and he always made films which would "appeal to every sort of viewer, whatever their expectation of film". According to his co-producer Jan Harlan, Kubrick mostly "wanted to make films about things that mattered, that not only had form, but substance". Kubrick believed that audiences quite often were attracted to "enigmas and allegories" and did not like films in which everything was spelled out clearly.
Sexuality in Kubrick's films is usually depicted outside matrimonial relationships in hostile situations. Baxter states that Kubrick explores the "furtive and violent side alleys of the sexual experience: voyeurism, domination, bondage and rape" in his films. He further points out that films like A Clockwork Orange are "powerfully homoerotic", from Alex walking about his parents' flat in his Y-fronts, one eye being "made up with doll-like false eyelashes", to his innocent acceptance of the sexual advances of his post-corrective adviser Deltroid (Aubrey Morris). British critic Adrian Turner notes that Kubrick's films appear to be "preoccupied with questions of universal and inherited evil", and Malcolm McDowell referred to his humor as "black as coal", questioning his outlook on humanity. A few of his pictures were obvious satires and black comedies, such as Lolita and Dr. Strangelove; many of his other films also contained less visible elements of satire or irony. His films are unpredictable, examining "the duality and contradictions that exist in all of us". Ciment notes how Kubrick often tried to confound audience expectations by establishing radically different moods from one film to the next, remarking that he was almost "obsessed with contradicting himself, with making each work a critique of the previous one".
Kubrick stated that "there is no deliberate pattern to the stories that I have chosen to make into films. About the only factor at work each time is that I try not to repeat myself". As a result, Kubrick was often misunderstood by critics, and only once did he have unanimously positive reviews upon the release of a film—for Paths of Glory.
Writing and staging scenes
Film author Patrick Webster considers Kubrick's methods of writing and developing scenes to fit with the classical auteur theory of directing, allowing collaboration and improvisation with the actors during filming. Malcolm McDowell recalled Kubrick's collaborative emphasis during their discussions and his willingness to allow him to improvise a scene, stating that "there was a script and we followed it, but when it didn't work he knew it, and we had to keep rehearsing endlessly until we were bored with it".
Once Kubrick was confident in the overall staging of a scene, and felt the actors were prepared, he would then develop the visual aspects, including camera and lighting placement. Walker believes that Kubrick was one of "very few film directors competent to instruct their lighting photographers in the precise effect they want". Baxter believes that Kubrick was heavily influenced by his ancestry and always possessed a European perspective to filmmaking, particularly the Austro-Hungarian empire and his admiration for Max Ophuls and Richard Strauss.
Gilbert Adair, writing in a review for Full Metal Jacket, commented that "Kubrick's approach to language has always been of a reductive and uncompromisingly deterministic nature. He appears to view it as the exclusive product of environmental conditioning, only very marginally influenced by concepts of subjectivity and interiority, by all whims, shades and modulations of personal expression". Johnson notes that although Kubrick was a "visual filmmaker", he also loved words and was like a writer in his approach, very sensitive to the story itself, which he found unique. Before shooting began, Kubrick tried to have the script as complete as possible, but still allowed himself enough space to make changes during the filming, finding it "more profitable to avoid locking up any ideas about staging or camera or even dialogue prior to rehearsals" as he put it. Kubrick told Robert Emmett Ginna: "I think you have to view the entire problem of putting the story you want to tell up there on that light square. It begins with the selection of the property; it continues through the creation of the story, the sets, the costumes, the photography and the acting. And when the picture is shot, it's only partially finished. I think the cutting is just a continuation of directing a movie. I think the use of music effects, opticals and finally main titles are all part of telling the story. And I think the fragmentation of these jobs, by different people, is a very bad thing". Kubrick also said: "I think that the best plot is no apparent plot. I like a slow start, the start that gets under the audience's skin and involves them so that they can appreciate grace notes and soft tones and don't have to be pounded over the head with plot points and suspense tools."
Directing
Kubrick was notorious for demanding multiple takes during filming to perfect his art, and his relentless approach was often extremely demanding for his actors. Jack Nicholson remarked that Kubrick would often demand up to fifty takes of a scene. Nicole Kidman explains that the large number of takes he often required stopped actors from consciously thinking about technique, thereby helping them enter a "deeper place". Kubrick's high take ratio was considered by some critics as "irrational"; he firmly believed that actors were at their best during the filming, as opposed to rehearsals, due to the sense of intense excitement that it generates. Kubrick explained: "Actors are essentially emotion-producing instruments, and some are always tuned and ready while others will reach a fantastic pitch on one take and never equal it again, no matter how hard they try" ...
"When you make a movie, it takes a few days just to get used to the crew, because it is like getting undressed in front of fifty people. Once you're accustomed to them, the presence of even one other person on set is discordant and tends to produce self-consciousness in the actors, and certainly in itself". He also told biographer Michel Ciment: "It's invariably because the actors don't know their lines, or don't know them well enough. An actor can only do one thing at a time, and when he learned his lines only well enough to say them while he's thinking about them, he will always have trouble as soon as he has to work on the emotions of the scene or find camera marks. In a strong emotional scene, it is always best to be able to shoot in complete takes to allow the actor a continuity of emotion, and it is rare for most actors to reach their peak more than once or twice. There are, occasionally, scenes which benefit from extra takes, but even then, I'm not sure that the early takes aren't just glorified rehearsals with the adding adrenaline of film running through the camera."
Kubrick would devote his personal breaks to having lengthy discussions with actors. Among those who valued his attention was Tony Curtis, star of Spartacus, who said Kubrick was his favorite director, adding, "his greatest effectiveness was his one-on-one relationship with actors." He further added, "Kubrick had his own approach to film-making. He wanted to see the actor's faces. He didn't want cameras always in a wide shot twenty-five feet away, he wanted close-ups, he wanted to keep the camera moving. That was his style." Similarly, Malcolm McDowell recalls the long discussions he had with Kubrick to help him develop his character in A Clockwork Orange, noting that on set he felt entirely uninhibited and free, which is what made Kubrick "such a great director". Kubrick also allowed actors at times to improvise and to "break the rules", particularly with Peter Sellers in Lolita, which became a turning point in his career as it allowed him to work creatively during the shooting, as opposed to the preproduction stage.
During an interview, Ryan O'Neal recalled Kubrick's directing style: "God, he works you hard. He moves you, pushes you, helps you, gets cross with you, but above all he teaches you the value of a good director. Stanley brought out aspects of my personality and acting instincts that had been dormant ... My strong suspicion [was] that I was involved in something great". He further added that working with Kubrick was "a stunning experience" and that he never recovered from working with somebody of such magnificence.
Cinematography
Kubrick credited the ease with which he filmed scenes to his early years as a photographer. He rarely added camera instructions in the script, preferring to handle that after a scene is created, as the visual part of film-making came easiest to him. Even in deciding which props and settings would be used, Kubrick paid meticulous attention to detail and tried to collect as much background material as possible, functioning rather like what he described as "a detective". Cinematographer John Alcott, who worked closely with Kubrick on four of his films, and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography on Barry Lyndon, remarked that Kubrick "questions everything", and was involved in the technical aspects of film-making including camera placement, scene composition, choice of lens, and even operating the camera which would usually be left to the cinematographer. Alcott considered Kubrick to be the "nearest thing to genius I've ever worked with, with all the problems of a genius".
Among Kubrick's innovations in cinematography are his use of special effects, as in 2001, where he used both slit-scan photography and front-screen projection, which won Kubrick his only Oscar for special effects. Some reviewers have described and illustrated with video clips, Kubrick's use of "one-point perspective", which leads the viewer's eye towards a central vanishing point. The technique relies on creating a complex visual symmetry using parallel lines in a scene which all converge on that single point, leading away from the viewer. Combined with camera motion it could produce an effect that one writer describes as "hypnotic and thrilling". The Shining was among the first half-dozen features to use the then-revolutionary Steadicam (after the 1976 films Bound for Glory, Marathon Man and Rocky). Kubrick used it to its fullest potential, which gave the audience smooth, stabilized, motion-tracking by the camera. Kubrick described Steadicam as being like a "magic carpet", allowing "fast, flowing, camera movements" in the maze in The Shining which otherwise would have been impossible.
Kubrick was among the first directors to use video assist during filming. At the time he began using it in 1966, it was considered cutting-edge technology, requiring him to build his own system. Having it in place during the filming of 2001, he was able to view a video of a take immediately after it was filmed. On some films, such as Barry Lyndon, he used custom made zoom lenses, which allowed him to start a scene with a close-up and slowly zoom out to capture the full panorama of scenery and to film long takes under changing outdoor lighting conditions by making aperture adjustments while the cameras rolled. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's technical knowledge about lenses "dazzled the manufacturer's engineers, who found him to be unprecedented among contemporary filmmakers". For Barry Lyndon he also used a specially adapted high-speed (f/0.7) Zeiss camera lens, originally developed for NASA, to shoot numerous scenes lit only with candlelight. Actor Steven Berkoff recalls that Kubrick wanted scenes to be shot using "pure candlelight", and in doing so Kubrick "made a unique contribution to the art of filmmaking going back to painting ... You almost posed like for portraits." LoBrutto notes that cinematographers all over the world wanted to know about Kubrick's "magic lens" and that he became a "legend" among cameramen around the world.
Editing and music
Kubrick spent extensive hours editing, often working seven days a week, and more hours a day as he got closer to deadlines. For Kubrick, written dialogue was one element to be put in balance with mise en scène (set arrangements), music, and especially, editing. Inspired by Pudovkin's treatise on film editing, Kubrick realized that one could create a performance in the editing room and often "re-direct" a film, and he remarked: "I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of filmmaking ... Editing is the only unique aspect of filmmaking which does not resemble any other art form—a point so important it cannot be overstressed ... It can make or break a film". Biographer John Baxter stated that "Instead of finding the intellectual spine of a film in the script before starting work, Kubrick felt his way towards the final version of a film by shooting each scene from many angles and demanding scores of takes on each line. Then over months ... he arranged and rearranged the tens of thousands of scraps of film to fit a vision that really only began to emerge during editing".
Kubrick's attention to music was an aspect of what many referred to as his "perfectionism" and extreme attention to minute details, which his wife Christiane attributed to an addiction to music. In his last six films, Kubrick usually chose music from existing sources, especially classical compositions. He preferred selecting recorded music over having it composed for a film, believing that no hired composer could do as well as the public domain classical composers. He also felt that building scenes from great music often created the "most memorable scenes" in the best films. In one instance, for a scene in Barry Lyndon which was written into the screenplay as merely, "Barry duels with Lord Bullingdon", he spent forty-two working days in the editing phase. During that period, he listened to what LoBrutto describes as "every available recording of seventeenth-and eighteenth- century music, acquiring thousands of records to find Handel's sarabande used to score the scene". Nicholson likewise observed his attention to music, stating that Kubrick "listened constantly to music until he discovered something he felt was right or that excited him".
Kubrick is credited with introducing Hungarian composer György Ligeti to a broad Western audience by including his music in 2001, The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. According to Baxter, the music in 2001 was "at the forefront of Kubrick's mind" when he conceived the film. During earlier screening he played music by Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams, and Kubrick and writer Clarke had listened to Carl Orff's transcription of Carmina Burana, consisting of 13th century sacred and secular songs. Ligeti's music employed the new style of micropolyphony, which used sustained dissonant chords that shift slowly over time, a style he originated. Its inclusion in the film became a "boon for the relatively unknown composer" partly because it was introduced alongside background by Johann Strauss and Richard Strauss.
In addition to Ligeti, Kubrick enjoyed a collaboration with composer Wendy Carlos, whose 1968 album Switched-On Bach—which re-interpreted baroque music through the use of a Moog synthesizer—caught his attention. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange. Additional music not used in the film was released in 1972 as Wendy Carlos's Clockwork Orange. Kubrick later collaborated with Carlos on The Shining (1980). The opening of the film employs Carlos' rendering of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.
Personal life
Kubrick married his high-school sweetheart Toba Metz, a caricaturist, on May 29, 1948, when he was 19 years old. The couple lived together in Greenwich Village and divorced three years later in 1951. He met his second wife, the Austrian-born dancer and theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka, in 1952. They lived together in New York City's East Village beginning in 1952, married in January 1955 and moved to Hollywood in July 1955, where she played a brief part as a ballet dancer in Kubrick's film, Killer's Kiss (1955). The following year, she was art director for his film, The Killing (1956). They divorced in 1957.
During the production of Paths of Glory in Munich in early 1957, Kubrick met and romanced the German actress Christiane Harlan, who played a small though memorable role in the film. Kubrick married Harlan in 1958 and the couple remained together for 40 years, until his death in 1999. Besides his stepdaughter, they had two daughters together: Anya Renata (April 6, 1959 – July 7, 2009) and Vivian Vanessa (born August 5, 1960). In 1959, they settled into a home at 316 South Camden Drive in Beverly Hills with Harlan's daughter, Katherina, aged six. They also lived in New York City, during which time Christiane studied art at the Art Students League of New York, later becoming an independent artist. The couple moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to make Lolita, and Kubrick hired Peter Sellers to star in his next film, Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was unable to leave the UK, so Kubrick made Britain his permanent home thereafter. The move was quite convenient to Kubrick, since he shunned the Hollywood system and its publicity machine and he and Christiane had become alarmed with the increase in violence in New York City.
In 1965, the Kubricks bought Abbots Mead on Barnet Lane, just south-west of the Elstree/Borehamwood studio complex in England. Kubrick worked almost exclusively from this home for 14 years where, he researched, invented special effects techniques, designed ultra-low light lenses for specially modified cameras, pre-produced, edited, post-produced, advertised, distributed and carefully managed all aspects of four of his films. In 1978, Kubrick moved into Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire, a mainly 18th-century stately home, which was once owned by a wealthy racehorse owner, about north of London and a 10-minute drive from his previous home at Abbotts Mead. His new home became a workplace for Kubrick and his wife, "a perfect family factory" as Christiane called it, and Kubrick converted the stables into extra production rooms besides ones within the home that he used for editing and storage.
A workaholic, Kubrick rarely took a vacation or left England during the forty years before his death. LoBrutto notes that Kubrick's confined way of living and desire for privacy has led to spurious stories about his reclusiveness, similar to those of Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes and J. D. Salinger. Michael Herr, Kubrick's co-screenwriter on Full Metal Jacket, who knew him well, considers his "reclusiveness" to be myth: "[He] was in fact a complete failure as a recluse, unless you believe that a recluse is simply someone who seldom leaves his house. Stanley saw a lot of people ... he was one of the most gregarious men I ever knew and it didn't change anything that most of this conviviality went on over the phone." LoBrutto states that one of the reasons he acquired a reputation as a recluse was that he insisted in remaining near his home but the reason for this was that for Kubrick there were only three places on the planet he could make high quality films with the necessary technical expertise and equipment: Los Angeles, New York City or around London. He disliked living in Los Angeles and thought London a superior film production center to New York City.
As a person, Kubrick was described by Norman Lloyd as "a very dark, sort of a glowering type who was very serious". Marisa Berenson, who starred in Barry Lyndon, fondly recalled: "There was great tenderness in him and he was passionate about his work. What was striking was his enormous intelligence but he also had a great sense of humor. He was a very shy person and self-protective but he was filled with the thing that drove him twenty-four hours of the day." Kubrick was particularly fond of machines and technical equipment, to the point that his wife Christiane once stated that "Stanley would be happy with eight tape recorders and one pair of pants". Kubrick had obtained a pilot's license in August 1947 and some have claimed that he later developed a fear of flying, stemming from an incident in the early 1950s when a colleague was killed in a plane crash. Kubrick had been sent the charred remains of his camera and notebooks which, according to Duncan, traumatized him for life. Kubrick also had a strong mistrust of doctors and medicine.
Death
On March 7, 1999, six days after screening a final cut of Eyes Wide Shut for his family and the stars, Kubrick died in his sleep at the age of 70, suffering a heart attack. His funeral was held five days later at Childwickbury Manor, with only close friends and family in attendance, totaling about 100 people. The media were kept a mile away outside the entrance gate. Alexander Walker, who attended the funeral, described it as a "family farewell, ... almost like an English picnic", with cellists, clarinetists and singers providing song and music from many of his favorite classical compositions. Kaddish, the Jewish prayer typically said by mourners and in other contexts, was recited. A few of his obituaries mentioned his Jewish background. Among those who gave eulogies were Terry Semel, Jan Harlan, Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. He was buried next to his favorite tree on the estate. In her book dedicated to Kubrick, his wife Christiane included one of his favorite quotations of Oscar Wilde: "The tragedy of old age is not that one is old but that one is young."
Legacy
Cultural impact
Part of the New Hollywood film-making wave, Kubrick's films are considered by film historian Michel Ciment to be "among the most important contributions to world cinema in the twentieth century", and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in the history of cinema. Leading directors, including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, George Lucas, James Cameron, Terry Gilliam, the Coen brothers, Ridley Scott, and George A. Romero, have cited Kubrick as a source of inspiration, and additionally in the case of Spielberg and Scott, collaboration. On the DVD of Eyes Wide Shut, Steven Spielberg comments that the way Kubrick "tells a story is antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories" and that "nobody could shoot a picture better in history". Orson Welles, one of Kubrick's greatest personal influences and favorite directors, said that: "Among those whom I would call 'younger generation', Kubrick appears to me to be a giant."
Kubrick continues to be cited as a major influence by many directors, including Christopher Nolan, Todd Field, David Fincher, Guillermo del Toro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Tim Burton, Michael Mann, and Gaspar Noé. Many filmmakers imitate Kubrick's inventive and unique use of camera movement and framing, as well as his use of music, including Frank Darabont.
Artists in fields other than film have also expressed admiration for Kubrick. English musician and poet PJ Harvey, in an interview about her 2011 album Let England Shake, argued that "something about [...] what is not said in his films...there's so much space, so many things that are silent – and somehow, in that space and silence everything becomes clear. With every film, he seems to capture the essence of life itself, particularly in films like Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon...those are some of my favorites." The music video for Kanye West's 2010 song "Runaway" was inspired by Eyes Wide Shut. Pop singer Lady Gaga's concert shows have included the use of dialogue, costumes, and music from A Clockwork Orange.
Tributes
In 2000, BAFTA renamed their Britannia lifetime achievement award the "Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award", joining the likes of D. W. Griffith, Laurence Olivier, Cecil B. DeMille, and Irving Thalberg, all of whom have annual awards named after them. Kubrick won this award in 1999, and subsequent recipients have included George Lucas, Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Many people who worked with Kubrick on his films created the 2001 documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, produced and directed by Kubrick's brother-in-law, Jan Harlan, who had executive produced Kubrick's last four films.
The first public exhibition of material from Kubrick's personal archives was presented jointly in 2004 by the Deutsches Filmmuseum and Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany, in cooperation with Christiane Kubrick and Jan Harlan / The Stanley Kubrick Estate. In 2009, an exhibition of paintings and photos inspired by Kubrick's films was held in Dublin, Ireland, entitled "Stanley Kubrick: Taming Light". On October 30, 2012, an exhibition devoted to Kubrick opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and concluded in June 2013. Exhibits include a wide collection of documents, photographs and on-set material assembled from 800 boxes of personal archives that were stored in Kubrick's home-workplace in the UK. Many celebrities attended and spoke at the museum's pre-opening gala, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson, while Kubrick's widow, Christiane, appeared at the pre-gala press review. In October 2013, the Brazil São Paulo International Film Festival paid tribute to Kubrick, staging an exhibit of his work and a retrospective of his films. The exhibit opened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in late 2014 and ended in January 2015.
Kubrick is widely referenced in popular culture; for example, the TV series The Simpsons is said to contain more references to Kubrick films than any other pop culture phenomenon. When the Directors Guild of Great Britain gave Kubrick a lifetime achievement award, they included a cut-together sequence of all the homages from the show. Several works have been created that related to Kubrick's life, including the made-for-TV mockumentary Dark Side of the Moon (2002), which is a parody of the pervasive conspiracy theory that Kubrick had been involved with the faked footage of the NASA moon landings during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Colour Me Kubrick (2005) was authorized by Kubrick's family and starred John Malkovich as Alan Conway, a con artist who had assumed Kubrick's identity in the 1990s. In the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Kubrick was portrayed by Stanley Tucci; the film documents the filming of Dr. Strangelove.
In April 2018, the month that marked the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the International Astronomical Union named the largest mountain of Pluto's moon Charon after Kubrick.
From October 2019 to March 2020, the Skirball Cultural Center hosted an exhibition called Through a Different Lens: Stanley Kubrick Photographs, a show focusing on Kubrick's early career.
Accolades
See also
Filmworker, a documentary with Leon Vitali about his work with Kubrick
Hawk Films
Kubrick by Kubrick, a documentary directed by Gregory Monro and based on Michel Ciment's interviews
Stanley Kubrick Archive
Stanley Kubrick bibliography
Stanley Kubrick's Boxes Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures''
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Stanley Kubrick Collection
Stanley Kubrick at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
, movie clip compilation, 4 minutes
1928 births
1999 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
Jewish American atheists
American cinematographers
American emigrants to England
American film editors
American film producers
American male screenwriters
American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
Articles containing video clips
BAFTA fellows
Best Director BAFTA Award winners
Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners
Burials in Hertfordshire
City College of New York alumni
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
David di Donatello winners
Film directors from New York City
Filmmakers from New York (state)
Jewish American writers
People from the Bronx
People from the East Village, Manhattan
People from Greenwich Village
Photographers from New York City
Science fiction film directors
Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Special effects people
Writers from Manhattan
Writers Guild of America Award winners | false | [
"Thomas McPherson Brown (1906–1989) was a rheumatologist who held unorthodox views about the basis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and believed it could be cured with antibiotics.\n\nBrown graduated from Swarthmore College then attended Johns Hopkins Medical School. He did his medical residency at the hospital associated with the Rockefeller Institute.At Rockefeller he did research on synovial fluid from people with RA and in 1937 found Mycoplasma in the fluid from some patients, leading him to believe that RA might be an infectious disease. His work was interrupted by service in World War II; after the war he obtained a position at George Washington University and began to experimentally treat some people with RA with antibiotics, which at the time were a new class of drugs. Some of the people he treated were members of Congress or ambassadors, and some of them responded positively. He presented his work at a conference in 1949; at the same conference, the new drug cortisone was presented, and it overshadowed his work and became the leading treatment for RA.\n\nThroughout his career, Brown fought to have his antibiotic treatments recognized by the medical establishment; they were not.\n\nFootnotes\n\n1906 births\n1989 deaths\nAmerican rheumatologists\n20th-century American physicians",
"Ben Thigpen (November 16, 1908 – October 5, 1971) was an American jazz drummer. He is the father of drummer Ed Thigpen.\n\nHe was born Benjamin F. Thigpen in Laurel, Mississippi. Ben Thigpen played piano as a child, having been trained by his sister Eva. He played in South Bend, Indiana with Bobby Boswell in the 1920s, and then moved to Chicago to study under Jimmy Bertrand. While there he played with many noted Chicago bandleaders and performers, including Doc Cheatham. He played with Charlie Elgar's Creole Band during 1927-1929 but did not record with them. Following this he spent time in Cleveland with J. Frank Terry, and then became the drummer for Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy, where he stayed from 1930 to 1947. Much of his work is available on collections highlighting the piano work of Mary Lou Williams, who also played in this ensemble.\n\nAfter his time with Kirk, Thigpen's career is poorly documented. He led his own quintet in St. Louis and recorded with Singleton Palmer in the 1960s.\n\nReferences\n[ Ben Thigpen] at Allmusic\n\nExternal links\n Ben Thigpen recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.\n\nAmerican jazz drummers\n1908 births\n1971 deaths"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences"
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | Who are her influences? | 1 | Who are Beyonce's influences? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | false | [
"Aishwarya Shah, known professionally as Ashwarya (stylised in all caps), is an Indian-Australian singer and songwriter. She signed to Jarrad Rogers' label Noize Recordings and subsequently released her debut single \"Psycho Hole\" on 2 July 2020. Her debut extended play, Nocturnal Hours, was released on 8 July 2021.\n\nCareer \nAshwarya's singles \"Psycho Hole\" and \"Biryani\" were released in 2020, which were followed by her debut extended play, Nocturnal Hours, on 8 July 2021.\n\nArtistry\n\nMusical style and influences\nShah lists musicians such as Rihanna, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Sufjan Stevens, Tyler, the Creator, and SZA as influences.\n\nDiscography\n\nExtended plays\n\nSingles\n\nAwards and nominations\n\nMusic Victoria Awards\nThe Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.\n\n! \n|-\n| 2021\n| Ashwarya\n| Best Breakthrough Act\n| \n| \n|-\n\nReferences\n\nAustralian people of Indian descent\nAustralian pop musicians\nAustralian contemporary R&B singers\nLiving people\n1999 births",
"Paula Grande (born 1986) is a Catalan-Spanish composer and singer. She debuted in 2016 with the music album . She is known to perform jazz fusion with flamenco and hip-hop influences.\n\nBiography\nPaula Grande was born into a Spanish speaking family in Girona; her father came from the Canary Islands and her mother from Extremadura. She grew up in Costa Brava, between Empordà and Maresme, but has also resided in Venezuela.\n\nIn the early 2010s, Grande decided to step up her interest in music. She took part in jazz festivals in Montreux and Lithuania between 2013 and 2014. Between 2014 and 2015, she studied jazz in France.\n\nAfter that, in 2016, she completed her work for her first music album . The ten songs on the album are a mixture of Catalan, English and Spanish, having both jazz and flamenco influences.\n\nDuring 2017, she toured in Colombia and Cuba with her music. In 2018, she released her second music album called , in this album she featured more hip-hop.\n\nDiscography \n2016 – , Little Red Corvette Records, LRC035\n2018 – , U98 Music\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \nOfficial website\n\nLiving people\n1986 births\nSingers from Catalonia\nSpanish women singers"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence."
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | Why does she say that? | 2 | Why does Beyonce name Michael Jackson as her major influence? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | false | [
"The Stolen Years () is a 2013 romance and dramatic film directed by Wong Chun-chun and starring Bai Baihe, Joseph Chang and Christine Fan.\n\nPlot\nHe-Mann (Bai Baihe) lost her memories five years ago when she had an accident. When she finally woke up, she could not understand why she and her husband had divorced, why her best friend is now her enemy, or why colleagues all avoided and tried to stay away from her. In order to learn about her past, she starts on her search of her lost memories with the help of her ex-husband. But as they discover more, they then realise.\n\nCast\n Bai Baihe\n Joseph Chang\n Christine Fan\n Amber An\n Ken Lin\n Tse Kwan-ho\n Queenie Tai\n Sky Wu\n\nCritical reception\nAndrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia writes, \"While it does not feel as realistic as say her best works (“Break Up Club”), this is an easy film to take as it engages without being pretentious and emotes without extravagance.\"\n\nReferences\n\n2013 films\nChinese films\nChinese romantic drama films\nFilms directed by Wong Chun-chun",
"Grassy Knoll is the fifth studio album by the New Zealand band The Exponents, released in September 1994. The album reached number 9 in the New Zealand Album charts and went gold. In May 2013, Universal Music re-released the album digitally in New Zealand in remastered standard and deluxe editions. The deluxe edition has six additional tracks of a single B-side and live recordings.\n\nTrack listing\n\"Happy Loving People\"\n\"Like She Said\"\n\"Fate\"\n\"Losing You\"\n\"Don't Say Goodbye\"\n\"House Of Love\"\n\"Day By Day\"\n\"Couple Of Things\"\n\"Helen\"\n\"It Didn't And It Does\"\n\"Baby I'll See you Later\" (hidden track)\n\nAdditional tracks on 2013 digital deluxe edition:\n\"So This Is Love\"\n\"I'll Say Goodbye (Even Though I'm Blue)\" (live)\n\"Whatever Happened To Tracey\" (live)\n\"Sometimes\" (live)\n\"Erotic\" (live)\n\"Why Does Love Do This To Me\" (live)\n\nAll songs written by Jordan Luckexcept \"Day By Day\" by Gent/Luck, \"So This Is Love\" by Phil Judd and \"Whatever Happened To Tracey\" by Sheehan/Luck\n\nBand members\n Jordan Luck (vocals)\n David Gent (bass guitar)\n Harry (drums)\n\nAdditional musicians\n Dave Dobbyn (guitars/vocals)\n Brent Williams (guitars)\n Trish Young (duet vocals on \"Don't Say Goodbye\")\n Ken Stewart (backing vocals on \"Don't Say Goodbye\")\n Paul Skates (guitar/backing vocals on \"House Of Love\")\n\nCredits\n Produced, mixed and recorded by David Hemming\n Assistant engineer Jason Blackwell\n Assistant mix engineer Spiro Fousketakis\n Recorded at Megaphon Studios, Sydney, Australia\n Mixed at Gotham Audio, Melbourne, Australia\n Mastered at 301 Studios Sydney, Australia\n Cover art: Dan Sheehan\n\nCharts\n\nReferences \n\n1994 albums\nThe Exponents albums"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert"
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | what concert did she attend? | 3 | what concert did Beyonce attend? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | false | [
"Clara Oriol de la Huerta (January 11, 1884 – December 12, 1967) was a concert pianist and the First Lady of Mexico from June 1 to November 30, 1920. She was the wife of Mexican president Adolfo de la Huerta.\n\nBiography \nClara Oriol de la Huerta was born in Guaymas, Mexico on January 11, 1884, to Pedro Oriol Félix and Mariana Ortiz de la Torre Sandoval. Oriol de la Huerta had two sons, Arturo and Adolfo. Clara was an accomplished concert pianist and only rarely did she attend official ceremonies with her husband. When her husband was exiled to Los Angeles, Clara and their sons moved with him and did not return to Mexico until the 1940s.\n\nClara Oriol de la Huerta died at the age of 83 on December 12, 1967.\n\nSee also \n First Lady of Mexico\n\nReferences \n\nPeople from Guaymas\nMexican Revolution\n1884 births\n1967 deaths",
"The Hands All Over Tour was the fifth concert tour by the American pop rock band Maroon 5, in support of their third studio album Hands All Over (2010). It began on December 3, 2010, in Chicago and concluded on July 21, 2012, in Stateline, Nevada.\n\nOpening acts\n Ryan Star\n Ingrid Michaelson\n Far East Movement\n Kes the Band\n 5 Miles to Midnight\n Sara Bareilles\n Emily King\n The Like\n Ry Cuming\n PJ Morton\n Javier Colon\n The Assembly Line\n\nOriginally, Cobra Starship was set to attend the tour in Australia, but later cancelled in order to work on their fourth album Night Shades (2011).\n\nSetlist\n\n \"Misery\"\n \"If I Never See Your Face Again\"\n \"Harder to Breathe\"\n \"Give a Little More\" \n \"The Sun\" \n \"Never Gonna Leave This Bed\" \n \"Secret\" / \"What's Love Got to Do with It\" \n \"Out of Goodbyes\" \n \"She Will Be Loved\" \n \"Wake Up Call\" \n \"Stutter\" \n \"This Love\" \nEncore\n\nShows\n\nCancelled shows\n\nReferences\n\n2010 concert tours\n2011 concert tours\n2012 concert tours\nMaroon 5 concert tours\nConcert tours of North America\nConcert tours of South America\nConcert tours of the United States\nConcert tours of Asia\nConcert tours of Europe"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert",
"what concert did she attend?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | what else has influenced beyonce? | 4 | Other than Michael Jackson, what else has influenced Beyonce? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | true | [
"Queen B may refer to:\n\nPeople\n\nQueen Bee, a nickname given in the 1990's to former Junior Mafia member Lil Kim. \nQueen B , a nickname for Beyonce\nQueen B, a nickname for Sofia Esper\nLil Queen B, a nickname for Analu Arsave\nQueen B/Bey, a nickname for Beyonce\nQueen B/Bee, a nickname for Beyonce\nQueen B, a nickname for the former queen Beatrix of the Netherlands\nQueen B, a nickname for South African TV and Radio personality Bonang Matheba\n\nEntertainment\n\nMusic \n\"Queen B.\", a 2007 song by Puscifer\n\nTelevision\n Queen B, a 2005 TV movie starring Alicia Silverstone\n \"Queen B.\", an episode of the TV series Popular\n Queen B. (Arrested Development), the season four episode of Arrested Development TV series\n\nSee also \n Queen bee (disambiguation)",
"Nadia Buari (born November 21, 1982) is a Ghanaian actress. She received two nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009.\n\nEarly life\nBuari was born in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, to a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother. She attended Mfantsiman Girls' Secondary School and then studied performing arts at the University of Ghana, graduating with a BFA degree. Throughout her time at the University of Ghana, she was actively involved in drama and dance clubs.\n\nCareer\nBuari premiered on Ghanaian national television with the TV series Games People Play in late 2005. Her first major film was Mummy's Daughter, after which, she starred in Beyonce: The President's Daughter. Her role as \"Beyonce\" was her major breakthrough. Her movie career began with her playing a role in the TV series Games People Play in 2005, which she got nominated for best actress. She has starred in more than 20 movies. In 2013, she came out with her own movie called The Diary of Imogene Brown.\n\nNollywood breakthrough and success\nBuari moved from Ghanaian films to Nollywood films around the year 2008. Her breakthrough role in Nollywood was in the film Beyonce & Rihanna as Beyonce alongside Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde who played Rihanna. The film became very popular to both Ghanaian and Nigerian audience. Her other notable Nollywood films include Rough Rider, Beauty and the Beast, Holding Hope and Single and Married.\n\nShe is also known for co-starring in films with Nollywood actor Jim Iyke, which has also received attention. Films include the Beyonce & Rihanna film series, Hot Romance and Behind a Smile.\n\nIn 2013, she won the Pan African Actress award at the annual Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA Awards) in New York City.\n\nOther work\nBuari became an ambassador at Tablet India Limited (TIL) in 2013.\n\nPersonal life \nIn 2019, Buari revealed in an interview that she is married and has four children.\n\nRecognitions\nIn 2014, Buari was awarded the Special Recognition Award at Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.\n\nFilmography\n\nBeyoncé — The President Daughter (2006)\nThe Return of Beyoncé\nMummy’s Daughter\nDarkness of Sorrow (2006)\nSlave to Lust\nIn The Eyes of My Husband\nAmerican Boy\nWicked Intentions\nTomorrow Must Wait\nHidden Treasure\nBeyonce & Rihanna\nBeauty and the Beast (2008)\nMy Last Ambition\nLove, Lies and Murder\nSecret Lie\nThe Angle Against The Monster\nHeartless\nLast Hour Romance\nUnder My Pillow\nSpeechless\nDesperate Bride\nInnocent Sin\nGuilty Threat\nThe Golden Lady\nSatanic Kingdom\nRough Rider\nCrazy Scandal\nUnfaithful\nThe Monster In Me\nBad Egg\nGarden of Eden\nNo More Love\nMy Dove\nAgony of Christ (2009)\nHeart of Men (2009)\nForbidden Fruit (2009)\nHolding Hope (2010)\nChelsea (2010)\nCheckmate (2010)\nSingle and Married (2012)\nHeroes & Zeros (2012)\nGame Plan (2015)\nAmerican Driver (2017)\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\n \n\n1982 births\nLiving people\nUniversity of Ghana alumni\nGhanaian film actresses\nMfantsiman Girls' Secondary School alumni\nGhanaian people of Arab descent\nGhanaian people of Lebanese descent"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert",
"what concert did she attend?",
"I don't know.",
"what else has influenced beyonce?",
"She admires Diana Ross as an \"all-around entertainer\""
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | does she admire any other performers? | 5 | Together with Diana Ross, does Beyonce admire any other performers? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | Whitney Houston, | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | true | [
"Admire Groove (in Japanese: アドマイヤグルーヴ, foaled April 30th, 2000) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.\n\nCareer\n\nAdmire Groove's first race was on November 10th, 2002 at Kyoto, where she came in first. She then won her next two races after at Hashin Racecourse, which included a win at the Wakaba Stakes.\n\nAdmire Groove's first major win was at the Grade-2 Rose Stakes on September 21st, 2003. She came close to capturing the October Shūka Sho just weeks later, but finished in 2nd. She then picked up her first Grade-1 victory, by winning the 2003 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.\n She picked up another win at the July 11th, 2004 Mermaid Stakes.\n\nAdmire Groove then returned to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2004, where she successfully defended her title.\n Groove tried to repeat the feat again at the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, but finished in 3rd place.\n\nOn December 18th, 2005, she grabbed her final win in her last race by winning the 2005 Hanshin Himba Stakes.\n\nStud career\nAdmire Groove's descendants include:\n\nc = colt, f = filly\n\nPedigree\n\nReferences\n\n2000 racehorse births\nRacehorses bred in Japan\nRacehorses trained in Japan\nThoroughbred family 8-f",
"Admire is a city in Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 156.\n\nHistory\nAdmire was founded in 1886. It was named for one of its founders, Jacob Admire.\n\nThe first post office in Admire was established in November 1886.\n\nAdmire was a station and shipping point on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. By the mid 1990s, rail service in Admire had been discontinued, and the tracks are now being used as a rail trail.\n\nAdmire's current acting mayor is Robert Reust. The former mayor, prior to January 2022, was Michael Spade, a local farmer.\n\nGeography\nAdmire is located at (38.641416, -96.101932). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.\n\nDemographics\n\nAdmire is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.\n\n2010 census\nAs of the census of 2010, there were 156 people, 60 households, and 43 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 70 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White, 0.6% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.1% of the population.\n\nThere were 60 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16.\n\nThe median age in the city was 32.5 years. 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.\n\n2000 census\nAs of the census of 2000, there were 177 people, 67 households, and 47 families living in the city. The population density was 534.5 people per square mile (207.1/km). There were 73 housing units at an average density of 220.4 per square mile (85.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 95.48% White, 0.56% Native American, 0.56% from other races, and 3.39% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.\n\nThere were 67 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.\n\nIn the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.\n\nThe median income for a household in the city was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $47,250. Males had a median income of $26,406 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,666. About 3.9% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.\n\nEducation\nThe community is served by North Lyon County USD 251 public school district.\n\nTransportation\nU.S. Route 56 is located approximately north of Admire. The closest Kansas Turnpike exit is located approximately east of Admire along U.S. Route 56.\n\nNotable person\n Alvin M. Johnston, test pilot\n\nReferences\n\nFurther reading\n\nExternal links\n City of Admire\n Admire - Directory of Public Officials\n Admire city map, KDOT\n\nCities in Kansas\nCities in Lyon County, Kansas\nEmporia, Kansas micropolitan area\n1886 establishments in Kansas\nPopulated places established in 1886"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert",
"what concert did she attend?",
"I don't know.",
"what else has influenced beyonce?",
"She admires Diana Ross as an \"all-around entertainer\"",
"does she admire any other performers?",
"Whitney Houston,"
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | why does she admire Houston? | 6 | why does Beyonce admire Houston? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did. | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | true | [
"\"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. It was released on July 22, 1996, by Arista Records as the seventh and final single from the accompanying soundtrack. The song was written and produced solely by Babyface. Musically, it is an R&B ballad, and the lyrics chronicle a lovelorn lament.\n\nThe song garnered positive reviews from critics, who commended Houston's vocal effort. It charted in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number twenty-six. It also reached a peak position of number twenty-two in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the song reached a peak of number forty-five on the RPM Singles chart. Although there is no official music video for the song, a performance of the song at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards was taped and is used as a promotional clip. The song was later included as a medley, in her My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999), along with a few other songs.\n\nBackground\nHouston starred in the 1995 romance film Waiting to Exhale, directed by Forest Whitaker. Although Houston did not intend to contribute to the film's soundtrack, when Whitaker hired Babyface to score the soundtrack, she opted in. Babyface, Houston and some other African-American female singers recorded songs for the album. The song was one of the final additions to the soundtrack. \"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" was originally written by Babyface for Houston, two years prior to the release of Waiting to Exhale, but Houston refused to record it at that time. \"I wasn't really in the mood for singing about why it hurts so bad,\" said Houston. Two years later, according to Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly, the emotions of the movie merged with the real-life circumstances of Houston's troubled marriage to Bobby Brown. \"Now, I'm ready to sing not only the joys of things, but the pains of things, also,\" Houston explained.\n\nComposition\n\n\"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" is an R&B ballad. The song was written and produced by Kenneth Brian Edmonds, popularly known as \"Babyface\". According to the sheet music book for The Greatest Hits at Sheetmusicplus.com, the song is written in the key of B major, and moves at a tempo of 69 beats per minute. It is set in time signature of common time and features a basic chord progression of B/E–Em–Cm–G7. Houston's vocals span from the note of Am7 to the note of D5. According to Stephen Holden of New York Times, the song is a \"lovelorn lament with a realistic twist\". He noted that, through the verses, the singer congratulates herself for breaking up with an abusive boyfriend and admits that she is still in love.\n\nReception\nThe song garnered mainly positive reviews from critics. Craig Lytle of Allmusic noted that Houston's voice \"sailed\" through the song. Christopher John Farley of TIME commented Houston \"particularly held her own\", with a \"masterly balance of pop, zip, and soulful melancholy\". Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote: \"It's lower-key and the singer, who also stars in the film, doesn't feel compelled to perform constant vocal feats.\" A writer for Boston Herald noted that the song was \"understated\". Similarly, Larry Flick of Billboard commented that the song should have been released as the follow-up to \"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)\". \"Paired with Babyface, Houston is positively luminous on [this] heartbreak ballad, performing with a perfect blend of theatrical melodrama and guttural soul,\" he added. Deborah Wilker of South Florida Sun-Sentinel was mixed in her review commenting that the song was a \"predictably histrionic follow-up\" to \"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)\". But, Nick Krewen of The Spectator was even less enthusiastic, writing \"[...] the two guaranteed [Whitney Houston] hits – 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' and 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' – don't really offer anything new.\" Similarly, Cary Darling of Rome News-Tribune gave a negative review. She noted that \"[the] ballad 'Why Does It Hurt So Bad' is [more] standard Whitney-fare\".\n\nReleased as the seventh and final single from the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, the song debuted at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the issue dated August 3, 1996. On the same issue, the song debuted at number 34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The song later reached a peak of number 26 on the Hot 100, and 22 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. It also reached number six on the Adult Contemporary chart, while reaching a peak of 39 on the Adult Pop Songs chart. In Canada, the song debuted at number 98 on the RPM Singles chart, on the July 22, 1996 issue. Later, on the September 15, 1996 issue, it reached a peak of number 45.\n\nMusic video and live performances\nThe song was not promoted through an official music video, although Houston appeared at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards held at Walt Disney Studios, Burbank and performed \"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\". The performance was directed and taped by Bruce Gowers and was later used as a promotional clip to accompany the song. The performance features Houston sitting on a chair, wearing a white outfit, and singing the song.\n\nHouston performed the song on her My Love Is Your Love World Tour, in 1999. The song was performed as a part of the \"Movie Medley\", along with \"I Believe in You and Me\", \"It Hurts Like Hell\", originally performed by Aretha Franklin, and \"I Will Always Love You\". This performance was taped in Sopot, Poland, on August 22, 1999 and broadcast on Polish television channel, TVP1.\n\nTrack listing\n\nUS CD 1\n\"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" [Album Version] – 4:37\n\"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)\" [Junior's Happy Hand Bag Mix] – 9:02\n\nUS CD 2\n\"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" [Album Version] – 4:37\n\"Why Does It Hurt So Bad\" [Live from the 1996 MTV Movie Awards] – 5:34\n\"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)\" [Junior's Happy Hand Bag Mix] – 9:02\n\"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)\" [Junior's X-Beat Dub] – 8:05\n\nCredits and personnel\nRetrieved from CD liner notes\n\nWhy Does It Hurt So Bad\nBrad Gilderman – vocals recorder\nBabyface – writer, vocals producer, background vocals\nWhitney Houston – vocals, background vocals\nJon Gass – mixer\nKevon Edmonds – background vocals\nMarc Nelson – background vocals\n\nWhy Does It Hurt So Bad (Live)\nBabyface – writer\nRickey Minor – producer\nWhitney Houston – vocals, producer\nBill Schnee – mixer\nJohn Hendrickson – mixer assistant\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nWhy Does It Hurt So Bad\nWhy Does It Hurt So Bad at Discogs\n\n1990s ballads\n1996 singles\n1995 songs\nMusic videos directed by Bruce Gowers\nSongs written by Babyface (musician)\nWhitney Houston songs\nSong recordings produced by Babyface (musician)\nSoul ballads\nContemporary R&B ballads\nSongs about heartache",
"Admire Groove (in Japanese: アドマイヤグルーヴ, foaled April 30th, 2000) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.\n\nCareer\n\nAdmire Groove's first race was on November 10th, 2002 at Kyoto, where she came in first. She then won her next two races after at Hashin Racecourse, which included a win at the Wakaba Stakes.\n\nAdmire Groove's first major win was at the Grade-2 Rose Stakes on September 21st, 2003. She came close to capturing the October Shūka Sho just weeks later, but finished in 2nd. She then picked up her first Grade-1 victory, by winning the 2003 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.\n She picked up another win at the July 11th, 2004 Mermaid Stakes.\n\nAdmire Groove then returned to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2004, where she successfully defended her title.\n Groove tried to repeat the feat again at the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, but finished in 3rd place.\n\nOn December 18th, 2005, she grabbed her final win in her last race by winning the 2005 Hanshin Himba Stakes.\n\nStud career\nAdmire Groove's descendants include:\n\nc = colt, f = filly\n\nPedigree\n\nReferences\n\n2000 racehorse births\nRacehorses bred in Japan\nRacehorses trained in Japan\nThoroughbred family 8-f"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert",
"what concert did she attend?",
"I don't know.",
"what else has influenced beyonce?",
"She admires Diana Ross as an \"all-around entertainer\"",
"does she admire any other performers?",
"Whitney Houston,",
"why does she admire Houston?",
"who she said \"inspired me to get up there and do what she did."
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | is there anyone else who has had an influence on Beyonce? | 7 | Aside from to Whitney Houston, is there anyone else who has had an influence on Beyonce? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | She credits Mariah Carey's singing | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | false | [
"\"What Else Is There?\" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer from the Swedish electronica duo The Knife. The album was released in the UK with the help of Astralwerks.\n\nThe single was used in an O2 television advertisement in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia during 2008. It was also used in the 2006 film Cashback and the 2007 film, Meet Bill. Trentemøller's remix of \"What Else is There?\" was featured in an episode of the HBO show Entourage.\n\nThe song was covered by extreme metal band Enslaved as a bonus track for their album E.\n\nThe song was listed as the 375th best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media.\n\nOfficial versions\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Album Version) – 5:17\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Radio Edit) – 3:38\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Jacques Lu Cont Radio Mix) – 3:46\n\"What Else Is There?\" (The Emperor Machine Vocal Version) – 8:03\n\"What Else Is There?\" (The Emperor Machine Dub Version) – 7:51\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Thin White Duke Mix) – 8:25\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Thin White Duke Edit) – 4:50\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Thin White Duke Remix) (Radio Edit) – 3:06\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Trentemøller Remix) – 7:42\n\"What Else Is There?\" (Vitalic Remix) – 5:14\n\nResponse\nThe single was officially released on 5 December 2005 in the UK. The single had a limited release on 21 November 2005 to promote the upcoming album. On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number 32, while on the UK Dance Chart, it reached number one.\n\nMusic video\nThe music video was directed by Martin de Thurah. It features Norwegian model Marianne Schröder who is shown lip-syncing Dreijer's voice. Schröder is depicted as a floating woman traveling across stormy landscapes and within empty houses. Dreijer makes a cameo appearance as a woman wearing an Elizabethan ruff while dining alone at a festive table.\n\nMovie spots\n\nThe song is also featured in the movie Meet Bill as characters played by Jessica Alba and Aaron Eckhart smoke marijuana while listening to it. It is also part of the end credits music of the film Cashback.\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\n2005 singles\nRöyksopp songs\nAstralwerks singles\nSongs written by Svein Berge\nSongs written by Torbjørn Brundtland\n2004 songs\nSongs written by Roger Greenaway\nSongs written by Olof Dreijer\nSongs written by Karin Dreijer",
"An appurtenance is something subordinate to or belonging to another larger, principal entity, that is, an adjunct, satellite or accessory that generally accompanies something else. The word derives from Latin appertinere, \"to appertain\".\n\nUsage \nIn a legal context, an appurtenance refers to a right, privilege, or improvement belonging to or that accompanies a principal property. For example, the Supreme Court of Minnesota has defined appurtenance as \"That which belongs to something else. Something annexed to another thing more worthy.\" Applying this definition, an empty portion of land behind an adjoining house that is regarded as that house's back yard may be an appurtenance to the house. The idea being expressed is that the back yard \"belongs\" to the house, which is the more significant of the two properties.\n\nIn Gestalt theory, appurtenance (or \"belongingness\") is the relation between two things seen which exert influence on each other. For example, fields of color exert influence on each other. \"A field part x is determined in its appearance by its 'appurtenance' to other field parts. The more x belongs to the field part y, the more will its whiteness be determined by the gradient xy, and the less it belongs to the part z, the less will its whiteness depend on the gradient xz.\"\n\nIn lexicology, an appurtenance is a modifier that is appended or prepended to another word to coin a new word that expresses \"belongingness\". In the English language, appurtenances are most commonly found in toponyms and demonyms, for example, 'Israeli', 'Bengali' etc. have an -i suffix of appurtenance.\n\nSee also\nFixture (property law)\nTenement (law)\nContenement\n\nReferences \n\nLatin legal terminology"
]
|
[
"Beyoncé",
"Influences",
"Who are her influences?",
"Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence.",
"Why does she say that?",
"Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert",
"what concert did she attend?",
"I don't know.",
"what else has influenced beyonce?",
"She admires Diana Ross as an \"all-around entertainer\"",
"does she admire any other performers?",
"Whitney Houston,",
"why does she admire Houston?",
"who she said \"inspired me to get up there and do what she did.",
"is there anyone else who has had an influence on Beyonce?",
"She credits Mariah Carey's singing"
]
| C_1128b8d67bcb48feb77ec450ae614b45_0 | Is there anyone else who Beyonce credits with impacting her? | 8 | Other than Mariah Carey, is there anyone else who Beyonce credits with impacting her? | Beyoncé | Beyonce names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyonce attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyonce said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer" and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." She credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker and Rachelle Ferrell. The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyonce's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyonce paid homage to Baker by performing "Deja Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyonce's third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyonce to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Beyonce has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "She proves you can do it all" and she has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyonce has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music... he is lyrical and raw". In February 2013, Beyonce said that Madonna inspired her to take control of her own career. She commented: "I think about Madonna and how she took all of the great things she achieved and started the label and developed other artists. But there are not enough of those women.". CANNOTANSWER | Aaliyah, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which featured the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Following the 2006 disbanding of Destiny's Child, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained singles "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also starred in multiple films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), and The Lion King (2019). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the successful singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies", and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 120 million records worldwide. She is the first solo artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Top Certified Artist of the Decade as well as Billboard Top Female Artist of the Decade. Beyoncé's accolades include 28 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014), 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2014, Billboard named her the highest-earning black musician of all time, while in 2020, she was included on Times list of 100 women who defined the last century.
Life and career
1981–1996: Early life and career beginnings
Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyonce), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager; Tina is Louisiana Creole, and Mathew is African American. Beyonce's younger sister Solange Knowles is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.
Beyoncé's maternal grandparents, Lumas Beyince, and Agnez Dereon (daughter of Odilia Broussard and Eugene DeRouen), were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé is considered a Creole, passed on to her by her grandparents. Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of many French aristocrats from the southwest of France, including the family of the Viscounts de Béarn since the 9th century, and the Viscounts de Belzunce. She is also a descendant of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin, a French nobleman and military leader who fought along the indigenous Abenaki against the British in Acadia and of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard. Her fourth great-grandmother, Marie-Françoise Trahan, was born in 1774 in Bangor, located on Belle Île, France. Trahan was a daughter of Acadians who had taken refuge on Belle Île after the British deportation. The Estates of Brittany had divided the lands of Belle Île to distribute them among 78 other Acadian families and the already settled inhabitants. The Trahan family lived on Belle Île for over ten years before immigrating to Louisiana, where she married a Broussard descendant. Beyoncé researched her ancestry and discovered that she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave.
Beyoncé was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.
When Beyoncé was eight, she met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups. The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company. This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.
1997–2002: Destiny's Child
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin' and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide. During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.
LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause. Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time. The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything. Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously. Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it. Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold. The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, which spent its first weekend atop the U.S. box office and grossed $73 million. Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium. In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love. The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S. Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film. Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the U.S. charts.
2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled
Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her first solo album Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert and the pay-per-view television special, "Ford Presents Beyoncé Knowles, Friends & Family, Live From Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan". The album was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts. The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200, and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US. The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one, and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.
In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child. Released on November 15, 2004, in the US and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour. The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.
2006–2007: B'Day and Dreamgirls
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).
Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin, grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide. Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".
2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States. The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US. The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo". Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, "Halos success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams", and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards, the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards, and the 2009 BET Awards. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year. Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics, the movie did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million – $60 million more than Cadillac Records – on a budget of $20 million. The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others. She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video. The song topped the U.S. Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992. "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.
2011–2013: 4 and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album. 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores. By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.
In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.
In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear". Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top". Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
2013–2015: Beyoncé
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released. Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24, and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.
On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US. This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one. Beyoncé received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days; Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood". The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love". In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row – earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013. Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. , Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, .
At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé. She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.
2016–2018: Lemonade and Everything Is Love
On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free. She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe. It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year. In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.
Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics. Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one. The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20). Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.
In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect". "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.
On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future. On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube. On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
2019–present: Homecoming, The Lion King and Black Is King
Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John. Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé. Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat. The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Beyoncé's eleventh song to do so across all acts. On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". On June 23, she followed up the release of its studio version with an a capella version exclusively on Tidal. Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer DIXSON.
Artistry
Voice and musical style
Beyoncé's voice type is classified as dramatic mezzo-soprano. Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto. Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."
Beyoncé's music is generally R&B, pop and hip hop but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.
Songwriting
Beyoncé has received co-writing credits for most of her songs. In regards to the way she approaches collaborative songwriting, Beyoncé explained: "I love being around great writers because I'm finding that a lot of the things I want to say, I don't articulate as good as maybe Amanda Ghost, so I want to keep collaborating with writers, and I love classics and I want to make sure years from now the song is still something that's relevant." Her early songs with Destiny's Child were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".
In 2001, she became the first Black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine songwriting credits on number-one singles. The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4. In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé has long received criticism, including from journalists and musicians, for the extensive writing credits on her songs. The controversy surrounding her songwriting credits began with interviews in which she attributed herself as the songwriter for songs in which she was a co-writer or for which her contributions were marginal. In a cover story for Vanity Fair in 2005, she claimed to have "written" several number-one songs for Destiny's Child, contrary to the credits, which list her as a co-writer among others. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she claimed to have conceived the musical idea for the Destiny's Child hit "Bootylicious", which provoked the song's producer Rob Fusari to call her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles in protest over the claim. As Fusari tells Billboard, "[Knowles] explained to me, in a nice way, he said, 'People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything. However, in an interview for Entertainment Weekly in 2016, Fusari said Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head. That was totally her. She knew what she wanted to say. It was very urban pop angle that they were taking on the record."
In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ruled out Beyoncé as a songwriter on "Listen" (from Dreamgirls) for its Oscar nomination in the Best Original Song category. Responding to a then-new three-writer limit, the Academy deemed her contribution the least significant for inclusion. In 2009, Ryan Tedder's original demo for "Halo" leaked on the Internet, revealing an identical resemblance to Beyoncé's recording, for which she received a writing credit. When interviewed by The Guardian, Tedder explained that Beyoncé had edited the bridge of the song vocally and thus earned the credit, although he vaguely questioned the ethics of her possible "demand" for a writing credit in other instances. Tedder elaborated when speaking to Gigwise that "She does stuff on any given song that, when you go from the demo to the final version, takes it to another level that you never would have thought of as the writer. For instance, on 'Halo,' that bridge on her version is completely different to my original one. Basically, she came in, ditched that, edited it, did her vocal thing on it, and now it's become one of my favorite parts of the song. The whole melody, she wrote it spontaneously in the studio. So her credit on that song stems from that." In 2014, the popular industry songwriter Linda Perry responded to a question about Beyoncé receiving a co-writing credit for changing one lyric to a song: "Well haha um that's not songwriting but some of these artists believe if it wasn't for them your song would never get out there so they take a cut just because they are who they are. But everyone knows the real truth about Beyoncé. She is talented but in a completely different way." Perry's remarks were echoed by Frank Ocean, who acknowledged the trend of recording artists forcing writing credits while jokingly suggesting Beyoncé had an exceptional status.
Reflecting on the controversy, Sunday Independent columnist Alexis Kritselis wrote in 2014, "It seems as though our love for all things Beyoncé has blinded us to the very real claims of theft and plagiarism that have plagued her career for years", and that, "because of her power and influence in the music industry, it may be hard for some songwriters to 'just say no' to Beyoncé." While reporting on her controversial writing record, pop culture critics such as Roger Friedman and The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon said the trend has redefined popular conceptions of songwriting, with Fallon saying, "the village of authors and composers that populate Lemonade, [Kanye West']s Life of Pablo, [Rihanna's] Anti, or [Drake's] Views – all of which are still reflective of an artist's voice and vision ... speaks to the truth of the way the industry's top artists create their music today: by committee." James S. Murphy of Vanity Fair suggests Beyoncé is among the major artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday who are "celebrated [not] because [they] write such good parts, but because [they] create them out of the words that are given".
Meanwhile, Everything Is Love producers Cool & Dre stated that Beyoncé is "100 percent involved" in writing her own songs, with Dre saying that "She put her mind to the music and did her thing. If she had a melody idea, she came up with the words. If we had the words, she came up with the melody. She's a beast", when speaking on the writing process of Everything Is Love. Ne-Yo, when asked about his collaborative writing experience with Beyoncé on "Irreplaceable", said that they both wrote "two damn totally different songs ... So, yeah, I gave her writer's credit. Because that counts. That's writing ... She put her spin on it." As for Drake: Pound Cake' happened while I was writing for Beyoncé or working with Beyoncé, not writing for, working with. I hate saying writing for 'cause she's a phenomenal writer. She has bars on bars." The-Dream revealed: "We did a whole Fela album that didn't go up. It was right before we did 4. We did a whole different sounding thing, about twenty songs. She said she wanted to do something that sounds like Fela. That's why there's so much of that sound in the 'End of Time.' There's always multiple albums being made. Most of the time we're just being creative, period. We're talking about B, somebody who sings all day long and somebody who writes all day long. There's probably a hundred records just sitting around."
Influences
Beyoncé names Michael Jackson as her major musical influence. Aged five, Beyoncé attended her first ever concert where Jackson performed and she claims to have realized her purpose. When she presented him with a tribute award at the World Music Awards in 2006, Beyoncé said, "if it wasn't for Michael Jackson, I would never ever have performed." Beyoncé was heavily influenced by Tina Turner, who she said "Tina Turner is someone that I admire, because she made her strength feminine and sexy". She admires Diana Ross as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston, who she said "inspired me to get up there and do what she did." Beyoncé cited Madonna as an influence "not only for her musical style, but also for her business sense", saying that she wanted to "follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire." She also credits Mariah Carey's singing and her song "Vision of Love" as influencing her to begin practicing vocal runs as a child. Her other musical influences include Prince, Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton.
The feminism and female empowerment themes on Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls and by singer Josephine Baker. Beyoncé paid homage to Baker by performing "Déjà Vu" at the 2006 Fashion Rocks concert wearing Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas. Beyoncé's third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. Her fourth solo album, 4, was inspired by Fela Kuti, 1990s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie, The Jackson 5, New Edition, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince.
Beyoncé has stated that she is personally inspired by Michelle Obama (the 44th First Lady of the United States), saying "she proves you can do it all", and has described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman." She has also discussed how Jay-Z is a continuing inspiration to her, both with what she describes as his lyrical genius and in the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Beyoncé has expressed admiration for the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, posting in a letter "what I find in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, I search for in every day in music ... he is lyrical and raw". Beyoncé also cited Cher as a fashion inspiration.
Music videos and stage
In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama (also the name of a song on B'Day) which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Her background singers, The Mamas, consist of Montina Cooper-Donnell, Crystal Collins and Tiffany Moniqué Riddick. They made their debut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band have supported Beyoncé in most subsequent live performances, including her 2007 concert tour The Beyoncé Experience, I Am... World Tour (2009–2010), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) and The Formation World Tour (2016).
Beyoncé has received praise for her stage presence and voice during live performances. Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post placed her at number one on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers. According to Barbara Ellen of The Guardian Beyoncé is the most in-charge female artist she's seen onstage, while Alice Jones of The Independent wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." The ex-President of Def Jam L.A. Reid has described Beyoncé as the greatest entertainer alive. Jim Farber of the Daily News and Stephanie Classen of The StarPhoenix both praised her strong voice and her stage presence. Beyoncé's stage outfits have been met with criticism from many countries, such as Malaysia, where she has postponed or cancelled performances due to the country's strict laws banning revealing costumes.
Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos throughout her career, including Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Åkerlund, and Jake Nava. Bill Condon, director of Beauty and the Beast, stated that the Lemonade visuals in particular served as inspiration for his film, commenting, "You look at Beyoncé's brilliant movie Lemonade, this genre is taking on so many different forms ... I do think that this very old-school break-out-into-song traditional musical is something that people understand again and really want."
Alter ego
Described as being "sexy, seductive and provocative" when performing on stage, Beyoncé has said that she originally created the alter ego "Sasha Fierce" to keep that stage persona separate from who she really is. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating, "I'm not like her in real life at all." Sasha was conceived during the making of "Crazy in Love", and Beyoncé introduced her with the release of her 2008 album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. In February 2010, she announced in an interview with Allure magazine that she was comfortable enough with herself to no longer need Sasha Fierce. However, Beyoncé announced in May 2012 that she would bring her back for her Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live shows later that month.
Public image
Beyoncé has been described as having a wide-ranging sex appeal, with music journalist Touré writing that since the release of Dangerously in Love, she has "become a crossover sex symbol". Offstage Beyoncé says that while she likes to dress sexily, her onstage dress "is absolutely for the stage". Due to her curves and the term's catchiness, in the 2000s, the media often used the term "bootylicious" (a portmanteau of the words "booty" and "delicious") to describe Beyoncé, the term popularized by Destiny's Child's single of the same name. In 2006, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by Complex in 2012. In January 2013, GQ placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number 1 on its 100 Sexiest Artists list. Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Bangkok, Hollywood and Sydney.
According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles to work with her music while performing. Her mother co-wrote a book, published in 2002, titled Destiny's Style, an account of how fashion affected the trio's success. The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles. In 2007, Beyoncé was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the second African American woman after Tyra Banks, and People magazine recognized Beyoncé as the best-dressed celebrity.
Beyoncé has been named "Queen Bey" from publications over the years. The term is a reference to the common phrase "queen bee", a term used for the leader of a group of females. The nickname also refers to the queen of a beehive, with her fan base being named "The BeyHive". The BeyHive was previously titled "The Beyontourage", (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and entourage), but was changed after online petitions on Twitter and online news reports during competitions. The BeyHive has been named one of the most loyal and defensive fan bases and has achieved notoriety for being fiercely protective of Beyoncé.
In 2006, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Beyoncé for wearing and using fur in her clothing line House of Deréon. In 2011, she appeared on the cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel, in blackface and tribal makeup that drew criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine said that Beyoncé's look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and that it was "a return to her African roots".
Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from some in the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly do not attract as many comments. In 2008, L'Oréal was accused of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, responding that "it is categorically untrue", and in 2013, Beyoncé herself criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, and according to Vogue requested that only "natural pictures be used".
Beyoncé has been a vocal advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. The release of "Formation" on February 6, 2016 saw her celebrate her heritage, with the song's music video featuring pro-black imagery and most notably a shot of wall graffiti that says "Stop shooting us". The day after the song's release she performed it at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show with back up dancers dressed to represent the Black Panther Party. This incited criticism from politicians and police officers, with some police boycotting Beyoncé's then upcoming Formation World Tour. Beyoncé responded to the backlash by releasing tour merchandise that said "Boycott Beyoncé", and later clarified her sentiment, saying: “Anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe,” Beyoncé said. “But let’s be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things.”
Personal life
Marriage and children
Beyoncé started a relationship with Jay-Z after their collaboration on '03 Bonnie & Clyde", which appeared on his seventh album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about their relationship. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married without publicity. , the couple had sold a combined 300 million records together. They are known for their private relationship, although they have appeared to become more relaxed in recent years. Both have acknowledged difficulty that arose in their marriage after Jay-Z had an affair.
Beyoncé miscarried around 2010 or 2011, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured. She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Paris to shoot the album cover for 4, and she unexpectedly became pregnant in Paris. In August, the couple attended the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, at which Beyoncé performed "Love on Top" and ended the performance by revealing she was pregnant. Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in MTV history, pulling in 12.4 million viewers; the announcement was listed in Guinness World Records for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on Twitter, receiving 8,868 tweets per second and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most Googled phrase the week of August 29, 2011. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, Blue Ivy, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Following the release of Lemonade, which included the single "Sorry", in 2016, speculations arose about Jay-Z's alleged infidelity with a mistress referred to as "Becky". Jon Pareles in The New York Times pointed out that many of the accusations were "aimed specifically and recognizably" at him. Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine noted the lines "Suck on my balls, I've had enough" were an "unmistakable hint" that the lyrics revolve around Jay-Z.
On February 1, 2017, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was expecting twins. Her announcement gained over 6.3 million likes within eight hours, breaking the world record for the most liked image on the website at the time. On July 13, 2017, Beyoncé uploaded the first image of herself and the twins onto her Instagram account, confirming their birth date as a month prior, on June 13, 2017, with the post becoming the second most liked on Instagram, behind her own pregnancy announcement. The twins, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir, were born at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California. She wrote of her pregnancy and its aftermath in the September 2018 issue of Vogue, in which she had full control of the cover, shot at Hammerwood Park by photographer Tyler Mitchell.
Activism
Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, as well as "At Last" during the first inaugural dance at the Neighborhood Ball two days later. The couple held a fundraiser at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Manhattan for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign which raised $4 million. In the 2012 presidential election, the singer voted for President Obama. She performed the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" at his second inauguration in January 2013.
The Washington Post reported in May 2015, that Beyoncé attended a major celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She also headlined for Clinton in a concert held the weekend before Election Day the next year. In this performance, Beyoncé and her entourage of backup dancers wore pantsuits; a clear allusion to Clinton's frequent dress-of-choice. The backup dancers also wore "I'm with her" tee shirts, the campaign slogan for Clinton. In a brief speech at this performance Beyoncé said, "I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman lead our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless." She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas.
In 2013, Beyoncé stated in an interview in Vogue that she considered herself to be "a modern-day feminist". She would later align herself more publicly with the movement, sampling "We should all be feminists", a speech delivered by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at a TEDx talk in April 2013, in her song "Flawless", released later that year. The next year she performed live at the MTV Video Awards in front a giant backdrop reading "Feminist". Her self-identification incited a circulation of opinions and debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals. Annie Lennox, celebrated artist and feminist advocate, referred to Beyoncé's use of her word feminist as 'feminist lite'. bell hooks critiqued Beyoncé, referring to her as a "terrorist" towards feminism, harmfully impacting her audience of young girls. Adichie responded with "her type of feminism is not mine, as it is the kind that, at the same time, gives quite a lot of space to the necessity of men." Adichie expands upon what 'feminist lite' means to her, referring that "more troubling is the idea, in Feminism Lite, that men are naturally superior but should be expected to "treat women well" and "we judge powerful women more harshly than we judge powerful men. And Feminism Lite enables this." Beyoncé responded about her intent by utilizing the definition of feminist with her platform was to "give clarity to the true meaning" behind it. She says to understand what being a feminist is, "it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women." She advocated to provide equal opportunities for young boys and girls, men and women must begin to understand the double standards that remain persistent in our societies and the issue must be illuminated in effort to start making changes.
She has also contributed to the Ban Bossy campaign, which uses TV and social media to encourage leadership in girls. Following Beyoncé's public identification as a feminist, the sexualized nature of her performances and the fact that she championed her marriage was questioned.
In December 2012, Beyoncé along with a variety of other celebrities teamed up and produced a video campaign for "Demand A Plan", a bipartisan effort by a group of 950 U.S. mayors and others designed to influence the federal government into rethinking its gun control laws, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Beyoncé publicly endorsed same-sex marriage on March 26, 2013, after the Supreme Court debate on California's Proposition 8. She spoke against North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a bill passed (and later repealed) that discriminated against the LGBT community in public places in a statement during her concert in Raleigh as part of the Formation World Tour in 2016. She has also condemned police brutality against black Americans. She and Jay-Z attended a rally in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin. The film for her sixth album Lemonade included the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, holding pictures of their sons in the video for "Freedom". In a 2016 interview with Elle, Beyoncé responded to the controversy surrounding her song "Formation" which was perceived to be critical of the police. She clarified, "I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me".
In February 2017, Beyoncé spoke out against the withdrawal of protections for transgender students in public schools by Donald Trump's presidential administration. Posting a link to the 100 Days of Kindness campaign on her Facebook page, Beyoncé voiced her support for transgender youth and joined a roster of celebrities who spoke out against Trump's decision.
In November 2017, Beyoncé presented Colin Kaepernick with the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, stating, "Thank you for your selfless heart and your conviction, thank you for your personal sacrifice", and that "Colin took action with no fear of consequence ... To change perception, to change the way we treat each other, especially people of color. We're still waiting for the world to catch up." Muhammad Ali was heavily penalized in his career for protesting the status quo of US civil rights through opposition to the Vietnam War, by refusing to serve in the military. 40 years later, Kaepernick had already lost one professional year due to taking a much quieter and legal stand "for people that are oppressed".
Wealth
Forbes magazine began reporting on Beyoncé's earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world's best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. It placed her fourth on the Celebrity 100 list in 2009
and ninth on the "Most Powerful Women in the World" list in 2010. The following year, the magazine placed her eighth on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list, having earned $35 million in the past year for her clothing line and endorsement deals. In 2012, Forbes placed Beyoncé at number 16 on the Celebrity 100 list, twelve places lower than three years ago yet still having earned $40 million in the past year for her album 4, clothing line and endorsement deals. In the same year, Beyoncé and Jay-Z placed at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples", for collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's Guinness World Records as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. For the years 2009 to 2011, Beyoncé earned an average of $70 million per year, and earned $40 million in 2012. In 2013, Beyoncé's endorsements of Pepsi and H&M made her and Jay-Z the world's first billion dollar couple in the music industry. That year, Beyoncé was published as the fourth most-powerful celebrity in the Forbes rankings.
MTV estimated that by the end of 2014, Beyoncé would become the highest-paid Black musician in history; this became the case in April 2014. In June 2014, Beyoncé ranked at number one on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning an estimated $115 million throughout June 2013 – June 2014. This in turn was the first time she had topped the Celebrity 100 list as well as being her highest yearly earnings to date. In 2016, Beyoncé ranked at number 34 on the Celebrity 100 list with earnings of $54 million. She and Jay-Z also topped the highest paid celebrity couple list, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. , Forbes calculated her net worth to be $355 million, and in June of the same year, ranked her as the 35th highest earning celebrity with annual earnings of $60 million. This tied Beyoncé with Madonna as the only two female artists to earn more than $100 million within a single year twice. As a couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have a combined net worth of $1.16 billion. In July 2017, Billboard announced that Beyoncé was the highest paid musician of 2016, with an estimated total of $62.1 million.
Impact
Beyoncé's success has led to her becoming a cultural icon and earning her the nickname "Queen Bey". In The New Yorker, music critic Jody Rosen described Beyoncé as "the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century ... the result, the logical end point, of a century-plus of pop." Author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits (2018), draws a parallel between the singer's success and the dramatic transformations in modern society: "In the last one hundred years, we have seen the rise of the car, the airplane, the television, the personal computer, the internet, the smartphone, and Beyoncé." The Observer named her Artist of the Decade (2000s) in 2009.
Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Alex Suskind noticed how Beyoncé was the decade's (2010s) defining pop star, stating that "no one dominated music in the 2010s like Queen Bey", explaining that her "songs, album rollouts, stage presence, social justice initiatives, and disruptive public relations strategy have influenced the way we've viewed music since 2010." British publication NME also shared similar thoughts on her impact in the 2010s, including Beyoncé on their list of the "10 Artists Who Defined The Decade". In 2018, Rolling Stone included her on its Millennial 100 list.
Beyoncé is credited with the invention of the staccato rap-singing style that has since dominated pop, R&B and rap music. Lakin Starling of The Fader wrote that Beyoncé's innovative implementation of the delivery style on Destiny's Child's 1999 album The Writing's on the Wall invented a new form of R&B. Beyoncé's new style subsequently changed the nature of music, revolutionizing both singing in urban music and rapping in pop music, and becoming the dominant sound of both genres. The style helped to redefine both the breadth of commercial R&B and the sound of hip hop, with artists such as Kanye West and Drake implementing Beyoncé's cadence in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The staccato rap-singing style continued to be used in the music industry in the late 2010s and early 2020s; Aaron Williams of Uproxx described Beyoncé as the "primary pioneer" of the rapping style that dominates the music industry today, with many contemporary rappers implementing Beyoncé's rap-singing. Michael Eric Dyson agrees, saying that Beyoncé "changed the whole genre" and has become the "godmother" of mumble rappers, who use the staccato rap-singing cadence. Dyson added: "She doesn't get credit for the remarkable way in which she changed the musical vocabulary of contemporary art."
Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the album as an art form in an era dominated by singles and streaming. This started with her 2011 album 4; while mainstream R&B artists were forgoing albums-led R&B in favor of singles-led EDM, Beyoncé aimed to place the focus back on albums as an artform and re-establish R&B as a mainstream concern. This remained a focus of Beyoncé's, and in 2013, she made her eponymous album only available to purchase as a full album on iTunes, rather than being able to purchase individual tracks or consume the album via streaming. Kaitlin Menza of Marie Claire wrote that this made listeners "experience the album as one whole sonic experience, the way people used to, noting the musical and lyrical themes". Jamieson Cox for The Verge described how Beyoncé's 2013 album initiated a gradual trend of albums becoming more cohesive and self-referential, and this phenomenon reached its endpoint with Lemonade, which set "a new standard for pop storytelling at the highest possible scale". Megan Carpentier of The Guardian wrote that with Lemonade, Beyoncé has "almost revived the album format" by releasing an album that can only be listened to in its entirety. Myf Warhurst on Double J's "Lunch With Myf" explained that while most artists' albums consist of a few singles plus filler songs, Beyoncé "brought the album back", changing the art form of the album "to a narrative with an arc and a story and you have to listen to the entire thing to get the concept".
Several recording artists have cited Beyoncé as their influence. Lady Gaga explained how Beyoncé gave her the determination to become a musician, recalling seeing her in a Destiny's Child music video and saying: "Oh, she's a star. I want that." Rihanna was similarly inspired to start her singing career after watching Beyoncé, telling etalk that after Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love (2003), "I was like 'wow, I want to be just like that.' She's huge and just an inspiration." Lizzo was also first inspired by Beyoncé to start singing after watching her perform at a Destiny's Child concert. Lizzo also taught herself to sing by copying Beyoncé's B'Day (2006). Similarly, Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking Beyoncé. Adele cited Beyoncé as her inspiration and favorite artist, telling Vogue: "She's been a huge and constant part of my life as an artist since I was about ten or eleven ... I think she's really inspiring. She's beautiful. She's ridiculously talented, and she is one of the kindest people I've ever met ... She makes me want to do things with my life." Both Paul McCartney and Garth Brooks said they watch Beyoncé's performances to get inspiration for their own shows, with Brooks saying that when you watch one of her performances, "take out your notebook and take notes. No matter how long you've been on the stage – take notes on that one."
She is known for coining popular phrases such as "put a ring on it", a euphemism for marriage proposal, "I woke up like this", which started a trend of posting morning selfies with the hashtag #iwokeuplikethis, and "boy, bye", which was used as part of the Democratic National Committee's campaign for the 2020 election. Similarly, she also came up with the phrase "visual album" following the release of her fifth studio album, which had a video for every song. This has been recreated by many other artists since, such as Frank Ocean and Melanie Martinez. The album also popularized surprise releases, with many artists releasing songs, videos or albums with no prior announcement, such as Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z and Drake.
In January 2012, research scientist Bryan Lessard named Scaptia beyonceae, a species of horse-fly found in Northern Queensland, Australia after Beyoncé due to the fly's unique golden hairs on its abdomen. In 2018, the City of Columbia, South Carolina declared August 21 the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Day in the city after presenting her with the keys to Columbia.
Achievements
Beyoncé has received numerous awards, and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. As a solo artist she has sold over 17 million albums in the US, and over 75 million worldwide (as of February 2013). Having sold over 100 million records worldwide (a further 60 million additionally with Destiny's Child), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Her songs "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo", and "Irreplaceable" are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade. In 2010, Billboard named her in their Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list at number 15. In 2012, VH1 ranked her third on their list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music", behind Mariah Carey and Madonna. In 2002, she received Songwriter of the Year from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers becoming the First African American woman to win the award. In 2004 and 2019, she received NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year and the Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis Jr. – Entertainer of the Year.
In 2005, she also received APEX Award at the Trumpet Award honoring achievements of Black African Americans. In 2007, Beyoncé received the International Artist of Excellence award by the American Music Awards. She also received Honorary Otto at the Bravo Otto. The following year, she received the Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts at the World Music Awards and Career Achievement Award at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2010, she received Award of Honor for Artist of the Decade at the NRJ Music Award and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Beyoncé received the inaugural Billboard Millennium Award. Beyoncé received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards and was honored as Honorary Mother of the Year at the Australian Mother of the Year Award in Barnardo's Australia for her Humanitarian Effort in the region and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award in 2016. In 2019, alongside Jay-Z, she received GLAAD Vanguard Award that is presented to a member of the entertainment community who does not identify as LGBT but who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people. In 2020, she was awarded the BET Humanitarian Award. Consequence of Sound named her the 30th best singer of all time.
Beyoncé has won 28 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and The Carters, making her the most honored singer, male or female, by the Grammys. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with a total of 79 nominations. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year in 2010 while "Say My Name", "Crazy in Love" and "Drunk in Love" have each won Best R&B Song. Dangerously in Love, B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce have all won Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Lemonade has won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Beyoncé set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 when she won six awards, breaking the tie she previously held with Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Amy Winehouse, with Adele equaling this in 2012.
Beyoncé has also won 24 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the most-awarded artist in Video Music Award history. She won two awards each with The Carters and Destiny's Child making her lifetime total of 28 VMAs. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Formation" won Video of the Year in 2009 and 2016 respectively. Beyoncé tied the record set by Lady Gaga in 2010 for the most VMAs won in one night for a female artist with eight in 2016. She is also the most-awarded and nominated artist in BET Award history, winning 29 awards from a total of 60 nominations, the most-awarded person at the Soul Train Music Awards with 17 awards as a solo artist, and the most-awarded person at the NAACP Image Awards with 24 awards as a solo artist.
Following her role in Dreamgirls, Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture. According to Fuse in 2014, Beyoncé is the second-most award-winning artist of all time, after Michael Jackson. Lemonade won a Peabody Award in 2017.
She was named on the 2016 BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List as one of seven women judged to have had the biggest impact on women's lives over the past 70 years, alongside Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle, Helen Brook, Germaine Greer, Jayaben Desai and Bridget Jones, She was named the Most Powerful Woman in Music on the same list in 2020. In the same year, Billboard named her with Destiny's Child the third Greatest Music Video artists of all time, behind Madonna and Michael Jackson.
On June 16, 2021, Beyoncé was among several celebrities at the Pollstar Awards where she won the award of "top touring artist" of the decade (2010s). On June 17, 2021, Beyoncé was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a member of the inaugural class.
Business and ventures
In 2010, Beyoncé founded her own entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment which formed as an imprint based from Columbia Records, the company began as a production unit for videos and films in 2008. Parkwood Entertainment is named after a street in Houston, Texas where Beyoncé once lived. With headquarters in New York City, the company serves as an umbrella for the entertainer's various brands in music, movies, videos, and fashion. The staff of Parkwood Entertainment have experiences in arts and entertainment, from filmmaking and video production to web and fashion design. In addition to departments in marketing, digital, creative, publicity, fashion design and merchandising, the company houses a state-of-the-art editing suite, where Beyoncé works on content for her worldwide tours, music videos, and television specials. Parkwood Entertainment's first production was the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also distributed Beyoncé's albums such as her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), Lemonade (2016) and The Carters, Everything is Love (2018). Beyoncé has also signed other artists to Parkwood such as Chloe x Halle, who performed at Super Bowl LIII in February 2019.
Endorsements and partnerships
Beyoncé has worked with Pepsi since 2002, and in 2004 appeared in a Gladiator-themed commercial with Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias. In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal to endorse Pepsi. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPINET) wrote Beyoncé an open letter asking her to reconsider the deal because of the unhealthiness of the product and to donate the proceeds to a medical organisation. Nevertheless, NetBase found that Beyoncé's campaign was the most talked about endorsement in April 2013, with a 70 percent positive audience response to the commercial and print ads.
Beyoncé has worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star (singing a cover version of "Wishing on a Star") and True Star Gold; she also promoted Emporio Armani's Diamonds fragrance in 2007. Beyoncé launched her first official fragrance, Heat, in 2010. The commercial, which featured the 1956 song "Fever", was shown after the watershed in the United Kingdom as it begins with an image of Beyoncé appearing to lie naked in a room. In February 2011, Beyoncé launched her second fragrance, Heat Rush. Beyoncé's third fragrance, Pulse, was launched in September 2011. In 2013, The Mrs. Carter Show Limited Edition version of Heat was released. The six editions of Heat are the world's best-selling celebrity fragrance line, with sales of over $400 million.
The release of a video-game Starpower: Beyoncé was cancelled after Beyoncé pulled out of a $100 million with GateFive who alleged the cancellation meant the sacking of 70 staff and millions of pounds lost in development. It was settled out of court by her lawyers in June 2013 who said that they had cancelled because GateFive had lost its financial backers. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express, Nintendo DS and L'Oréal since the age of 18.
In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner, with other artists, of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Rihanna, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry.
In November 2020, Beyoncé formed a multi-year partnership with exercise equipment and media company Peloton. The partnership was formed to celebrate homecoming season in historically black colleges and universities, providing themed workout experiences inspired by Beyoncé's 2019 Homecoming film and live album after 2020's homecoming celebrations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Beyoncé and Peloton are donating free memberships to all students at 10 HBCUs, and Peloton are pursuing long-term recruiting partnerships at the HCBUs. Gwen Bethel Riley, head of music at Peloton, said: "When we had conversations with Beyoncé around how critical a social impact component was to all of us, it crystallized how important it was to embrace Homecoming as an opportunity to celebrate and create dialogue around Black culture and music, in partnership with HBCUs." Upon news of the partnership, a decline in Peloton's shares reversed, and its shares rose by 8.6%.
In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign featured a robin egg blue painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Equals Pi (1982).
Fashion lines
Beyoncé and her mother introduced House of Deréon, a contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name paying tribute to Beyoncé's grandmother, Agnèz Deréon, a respected seamstress. According to Tina, the overall style of the line best reflects her and Beyoncé's taste and style. Beyoncé and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deréon, and its junior collection, Deréon. House of Deréon pieces were exhibited in Destiny's Child's shows and tours, during their Destiny Fulfilled era. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories that include handbags and footwear, and are available at department and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2005, Beyoncé teamed up with House of Brands, a shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a "high-style" mobile game with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. It was available at department stores including Macy's and Dillard's, and specialty stores Jimmy Jazz and Against All Odds. On May 27, 2010, Beyoncé teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch Deréon by Beyoncé at their stores in Brazil. The collection included tailored blazers with padded shoulders, little black dresses, embroidered tops and shirts and bandage dresses.
In October 2014, Beyoncé signed a deal to launch an activewear line of clothing with British fashion retailer Topshop. The 50–50 venture is called Ivy Park and was launched in April 2016. The brand's name is a nod to Beyoncé's daughter and her favourite number four (IV in roman numerals), and also references the park where she used to run in Texas. She has since bought out Topshop owner Philip Green from his 50% share after he was alleged to have sexually harassed, bullied and racially abused employees. She now owns the brand herself. On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Beyoncé would become a creative partner with Adidas and further develop her athletic brand Ivy Park with the company. Knowles will also develop new clothes and footwear for Adidas. Shares for the company rose 1.3% upon the news release. On December 9, 2019, they announced a launch date of January 18, 2020. Beyoncé uploaded a teaser on her website and Instagram. The collection was also previewed on the upcoming Elle January 2020 issue, where Beyoncé is seen wearing several garments, accessories and footwear from the first collection.
Philanthropy
In 2002, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a community center in Downtown Houston. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé and Rowland founded the Survivor Foundation to provide transitional housing to displaced families and provide means for new building construction, to which Beyoncé contributed an initial $250,000. The foundation has since expanded to work with other charities in the city, and also provided relief following Hurricane Ike three years later. Beyoncé also donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, Beyoncé founded the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing complex offering living space for 43 displaced individuals. As of 2016, Beyoncé had donated $7 million for the maintenance of the complex.
After starring in Cadillac Records in 2009 and learning about Phoenix House, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization, Beyoncé donated her full $4 million salary from the film to the organization. Beyoncé and her mother subsequently established the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, which offers a seven-month cosmetology training course helping Phoenix House's clients gain career skills during their recovery.
In January 2010, Beyoncé participated in George Clooney and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon, donated a large sum to the organization, and was named the official face of the limited edition CFDA "Fashion For Haiti" T-shirt, made by Theory which raised a total of $1 million. In April 2011, Beyoncé joined forces with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation, to help boost the latter's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single "Get Me Bodied". Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé released her cover of the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA", as a charity single to help raise funds for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.
Beyoncé became an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign donating her song "I Was Here" and its music video, shot in the UN, to the campaign. In 2013, it was announced that Beyoncé would work with Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini on a Gucci "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment. The campaign, which aired on February 28, was set to her new music. A concert for the cause took place on June 1, 2013, in London. With help of the crowdfunding platform Catapult, visitors of the concert could choose between several projects promoting education of women and girls. Beyoncé also took part in "Miss a Meal", a food-donation campaign, and supported Goodwill Industries through online charity auctions at Charitybuzz that support job creation throughout Europe and the U.S.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z secretly donated tens of thousands of dollars to bail out Black Lives Matter protesters in Baltimore and Ferguson, as well as funded infrastructure for the establishment of Black Lives Matter chapters across the US. Before Beyoncé's Formation World Tour show in Tampa, her team held a private luncheon for more than 20 community leaders to discuss how Beyoncé could support local charitable initiatives, including pledging on the spot to fund 10 scholarships to provide students with financial aid. Tampa Sports Authority board member Thomas Scott said: "I don't know of a prior artist meeting with the community, seeing what their needs are, seeing how they can invest in the community. It says a lot to me about Beyoncé. She not only goes into a community and walks away with (money), but she also gives money back to that community." In June 2016, Beyoncé donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to support victims of the Flint water crisis. Beyoncé additionally donated money to support 14 students in Michigan with their college expenses. In August 2016, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights groups including Black Lives Matter, Hands Up United and Dream Defenders. After Hurricane Matthew, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $15 million to the Usain Bolt Foundation to support its efforts in rebuilding homes in Haiti. In December 2016, Beyoncé was named the Most Charitable Celebrity of the year.
During Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD Houston to support those affected by the hurricane in Houston. The organization donated necessities such as cots, blankets, pillows, baby products, feminine products and wheelchairs, and funded long-term revitalization projects. On September 8, Beyoncé visited Houston, where she sponsored a lunch for 400 survivors at her local church, visited the George R Brown Convention Center to discuss with people displaced by the flooding about their needs, served meals to those who lost their homes, and made a significant donation to local causes. Beyoncé additionally donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors of the hurricane. Later that month, Beyoncé released a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente", with all of her proceeds being donated to disaster relief charities in Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the Chiapas and Puebla earthquakes.
In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, UCLA and local community-based organizations in order to provide mental health and personal wellness services to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BeyGOOD also teamed up with local organizations to help provide resources to communities of color, including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines and face masks. The same month Beyoncé released a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", with all proceeds benefiting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes providing over 14 tons of food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston weekly. In May 2020, Beyoncé provided 1,000 free COVID-19 tests in Houston as part of her and her mother's #IDidMyPart initiative, which was established due to the disproportionate deaths in African-American communities. Additionally, 1,000 gloves, masks, hot meals, essential vitamins, grocery vouchers and household items were provided. In July 2020, Beyoncé established the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund in partnership with the NAACP, which offers $10,000 grants to black-owned small businesses in need following the George Floyd protests. All proceeds from Beyoncé's single "Black Parade" were donated to the fund. In September 2020, Beyoncé announced that she had donated an additional $1 million to the fund. As of December 31, 2020, the fund had given 715 grants to black-owned small businesses, amounting to $7.15 million donated. In October 2020, Beyoncé released a statement that she has been working with the Feminist Coalition to assist supporters of the End Sars movement in Nigeria, including covering medical costs for injured protestors, covering legal fees for arrested protestors, and providing food, emergency shelter, transportation and telecommunication means to those in need. Beyoncé also showed support for those fighting against other issues in Africa, such as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to help alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium, giving 100 $5,000 grants to individuals and families facing foreclosures and evictions.
Discography
Dangerously in Love (2003)
B'Day (2006)
I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
4 (2011)
Beyoncé (2013)
Lemonade (2016)
Filmography
Films starred
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
The Fighting Temptations (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
The Pink Panther (2006)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Cadillac Records (2008)
Obsessed (2009)
Epic (2013)
The Lion King (2019)
Films directed
Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)
Homecoming (2019)
Black Is King (2020)
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
Dangerously in Love Tour (2003)
The Beyoncé Experience (2007)
I Am... World Tour (2009–2010)
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014)
The Formation World Tour (2016)
Co-headlining tours
Verizon Ladies First Tour (with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott) (2004)
On the Run Tour (with Jay-Z) (2014)
On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018)
Residencies
I Am... Yours (2009)
4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011)
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)
See also
Album era
Honorific nicknames in popular music
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Best-selling female artists of all time
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
Notes
References
External links
1981 births
Living people
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
Actresses from Houston
African-American actresses
African-American artists
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American dancers
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American female dancers
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
African-American feminists
African-American Methodists
African-American record producers
African-American women in business
African-American women writers
American women business executives
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American hip hop record producers
American female hip hop singers
American hip hop singers
American mezzo-sopranos
American music publishers (people)
American music video directors
American people of Creole descent
American retail chief executives
American soul singers
American television actresses
American United Methodists
American voice actresses
American women philanthropists
American women record producers
Black Lives Matter people
Brit Award winners
Businesspeople from Houston
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Destiny's Child members
Female music video directors
Feminist musicians
Gold Star Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners for rap music
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni
Ivor Novello Award winners
Jay-Z
Solange Knowles
Louisiana Creole people
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Music video codirectors
Musicians from Houston
NME Awards winners
Parkwood Entertainment artists
Record producers from Texas
Shoe designers
Singers from Texas
Singers with a four-octave vocal range
Texas Democrats
Women hip hop record producers
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Houston | false | [
"True Star is a fragrance endorsed by American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger released in 2004. The release was followed with a revised version of Beyoncé Knowles' original cover of \"Wishing on a Star\" and a limited edition EP also titled True Star: A Private Performance. The fragrance's commercial shows the singer Beyoncé Knowles singing a capella the song. Knowles was a poster girl of the perfume. She received $250,000 for this campaign. True Star was followed by one additional release, the True Star Gold.\n\nPackaging and product \n\nTrue Star by Tommy Hilfiger fragrance can come in two variations. The first perfume package variation is a black and white fragrance box. On this box is a picture of Beyonce lying down with her left hand on her right shoulder. A star emblem is below the picture of Beyonce. True Star is in bold white lettering near the bottom of the box followed by Tommy Hilfiger in black smaller print beneath the title.\n\nThe second variation, which is most commonly sold in retail stores, is a perfume packaging that is themed in blue and white. This variation of True Star by Tommy Hilfiger starts off with a baby blue color near the top of the fragrance box and fades to white in the center then fades back to the same shade of blue near the bottom. Tommy is printed at the top and Hilfiger is inscribed at the very bottom. True Star is centered in the middle of the perfume box in a gray shade. A medium-sized gray star emblem is above the fragrance title.\n\nBoth of the variations by Tommy Hilfiger of True Star have the same flask like shape. Both the Beyonce variation and \"blue\" variation also share the same push down fragrance dispenser. The perfume is sprayed out the topside of the fragrance bottle. The Beyonce perfume bottle variation has a dark gray cast to the bottle color while the \"blue\" style True Star container has a pearl like color to it.\n\nFragrance\n\nWhen Beyonce worked with Tommy Hilfiger on this perfume, she wanted the fragrance to be smart, sexy, yet innocent. True Star was created by using top perfume notes of honeysuckle, sweet pea, cereal, wheat notes, and rice pudding. True Star by Tommy Hilfiger perfume can be classified as a floral, oriental, and fresh scent that can be worn for any occasion by women of all age. Beyonce wanted to endorse a versatile fragrance; thus, creating True Star by Tommy Hilfiger. This Tommy Hilfiger fragrance has an average longevity compared to other perfume products available.\n\nReception \nIn 2005, the fragrance True Star won a FiFi Award for Best New Fragrance Commercial.\n\nTrue Star: A Private Performance\n\nTrue Star: A Private Performance is a two-track extended play (EP) by American R&B singer Beyoncé. Produced by herself and Tommy Hilfiger, it was released exclusively in 2004, solely available with limited edition purchases of her fragrance by Hilfiger entitled True Star. The EP's packaging consists of a fold-out digipak picture sleeve, including advertisement for the perfume and a built in picture booklet with lyrics for \"Wishing on a Star\". The EP was only released as a five-inch CD single, usually included with the purchase of the preceding EP's perfume.\n\nThe EP consists of two tracks. \"Wishing on a Star\" was originally covered by Beyoncé Knowles in 2004, for the live album Live at Wembley. The song was than used to promote the Tommy Hilfiger fragrance. In 2005, the song was included on the soundtrack of the movie Roll Bounce. At the 48th Grammy Awards (2006), Knowles' version was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Knowles released the song as a promotional single on August 17, 2010. The song that appears on the EP was credited originally from Live at Wembley.\n\nThe song \"Naïve\", which is a duet between Solange Knowles and Beyoncé, featuring Da Brat, was included on Solange Knowles' debut studio album Solo Star (2002) as the twenty-first track, tentatively untitled.\n\nTrack listing\nCredits adapted from the EP's liner notes.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nOfficial Website\n\nBeyoncé perfumes\nTommy Hilfiger (company)",
"Nija Charles, professionally known as Nija (born October 20, 1997) is an American songwriter and record producer. Charles began her professional music career in 2017 writing songs for Beyoncé and Jay-Z (\"Heard About Us\" and \"LoveHappy\"); Cardi B featuring SZA (\"I Do\"); Cardi B featuring Kehlani (\"Ring\"); Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande (\"Rain on Me\"); and Chris Brown featuring Drake (\"No Guidance\"). She is signed to Capitol Records and Universal Music Publishing Group.\n\nBiography \nCharles gained interest in music as a child, observing her uncle and aunt experiment on the production software Fruity Loops. In 2016, she enrolled in the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University where she practiced her production and songwriting skills. During the second semester of her sophomore year, Charles met her current manager, Christian McCurdy. He introduced her to RCA Records A&R J Grand, and he flew her to Los Angeles to work with producers and other artists and repertoires in the recording industry. Charles continued traveling between Los Angeles and New York City for short bi-weekly trips, allowing her to work on music in Los Angeles while still attending classes in New York City. Charles left Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in 2017 after signing a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. As a songwriter and producer, Charles' songs have reached platinum status, having written and produced for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Chris Brown, Cardi B, SZA, Kehlani, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Jason Derulo. Charles was placed on BET's 2020 \"Future 40\" list, which is a list of \"40 of the most inspiring and innovative vanguards who are redefining what it means to be unapologetically young, gifted & black\". She was named to Rolling Stone's \"Future 25\" in October, 2020.\n\nDiscography\n\nExtended Plays\nDon’t Say I Didn’t Warn You (2022)\n\nSongwriting discography\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n http://www.svgemagazine.com/music-posts/nija-charles-interview\n https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.47312/title.jay-z-beyonces-everything-is-love-credits-feature-quavo-offset-nav#\n http://www.vulture.com/2018/06/beyonce-and-jay-z-everything-is-love-guide.html\n https://genius.com/a/llmind-details-co-producing-heard-about-us-on-jay-z-and-beyonce-s-everything-is-love-album\n https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/beyonce-jay-z-new-album-everything-is-love/362106\n http://www.svgemagazine.com/music-posts/nija-charles-interview\n https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nija-charles-mn0003685018\n\nLiving people\n1997 births\nPeople from New Jersey\nAmerican women songwriters\nRecord producers from New Jersey\n21st-century American women musicians\nAmerican women record producers"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior"
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | When was Oppa Oppa released? | 1 | When was Oppa Oppa by Eunhyuk released? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | 16 December 2011 | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Super Junior-D&E (, also known as Donghae & Eunhyuk, D&E or SJ-D&E) is the fifth sub-unit of South Korean boy band Super Junior, formed by SM Entertainment in 2011. It is composed of two Super Junior members: Donghae and Eunhyuk. The duo debuted on December 16, 2011, with their digital single \"Oppa, Oppa\".\n\nHistory\n\n2011–13: Formation and debut \nDonghae & Eunhyuk released debut digital single \"Oppa, Oppa\" on December 16, 2011. The single contains lead single \"Oppa, Oppa\" and B-side single \"First Love\". The duo made their debuted stage on the same day in Music Bank.\n\nThe song \"Oppa Oppa\" was first introduced in Super Show 4 on November 19, 2011. The song released double music video: lead music video was released on December 16 and other music video was released on December 21, directed by Shindong and starring by Amber of f(x), Peter and Youngsky of One Way group and Sungmin and Shindong feature in the music video.\n\nThey released Japanese version of Oppa, Oppa on April 4, 2012. The single also containing of lead single \"Oppa, Oppa\" and B-side single \"First Love\". \"Oppa, Oppa\" peaked at #2 on Oricon single daily and weekly charts, and #1 on Tower Records single chart.\n\nOn June 19, 2013, the duo released their second Japanese single \"I Wanna Dance\" which also includes the B-side track \"Love That I Need\" featuring Super Junior-M member Henry.\n\nThey released their second digital single \"Still You\" on December 18, 2013. The music video was filmed in London. They made the first performed with \"Still You\" at SM Town Week: Super Junior Treasure Island on December 28 and 29.\n\n2014–15: Ride Me, The Beat Goes On, Present and hiatus\nThe duo released their first full-length Japanese album Ride Me on February 26, 2014, and started using name Super Junior-D&E since then. They released short version of \"Motorcycle\" promotional video (PV) on February 2. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri'.\n\nThe duo held their first Japan tour kicked off in Nagoya on 4 March 2014, going through 8 cities including Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kobe, Niigata, Budokan and Tokyo for 22 performances. They sang a total of 22 songs, including \"I Wanna Dance\", \"Oppa Oppa\", and \"BAMBINA\". The boys wrapped up their concert from May 8 to 10 in Budokan, attracting a total of 100,000 fans for their 1st Japan Tour. Shortly after D&E 1st Japan Tour, the duo released their 3rd Japanese single titled \"Skeleton\" on August 6, 2014.\n\nTheir first EP, The Beat Goes On was released on March 6. They also held comeback showcase at the SMTOWN Coex Artium one day before the release of the EP. Donghae participated in the album production along with producers The Underdogs, Hitchhiker, NoizeBank and more. The duo made their comeback performance on the music show Music Bank with the songs \"Growing Pains\" and \"The Beat Goes On\" on March 6, 2015, and kept promotions going on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown. On March 24, The duo released special edition album for The Beat Goes On. Including the seven tracks in the original album, \"Oppa, Oppa\", \"1+1=LOVE\", \"Still You\", \"Motorcycle\", \"Love That I Need\", and \"I Wanna Dance\" from its previous digital singles and Korean versions of Japanese songs for a total of 13 tracks in the special edition album.\n\nOn April 1, their first Japanese EP titled Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead single \"Saturday Night\". They also held their second Japan tour Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour - Present- from April 3 till April 23 in four cities Saitama, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka with 10 performances. The concerts concluded with gathered more than 100,000 fans.\n\nThe duo held their Asia tour titled \"Present\" kicks off in Taipei on June 6, following three other cities in Asia: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok with total five performances. The duo released their fourth Japanese single titled \"Let's Get It On\" on September 30.\n\nOn October 4, the Gangnam K-Pop Festival was held on Yeongdong Street in Seoul. It marked Donghae and Eunhyuk's final public appearance before heading to the army. As a result, the sub-group temporarily halted their activities during the members' enlistment. Eunhyuk and Donghae enlisted for their mandatory military service on October 13, 2015, and October 15, 2015, respectively.\n\n2017–present: Style, Bout You, Danger, Bad Blood, \"Wings\" and Countdown\nEunhyuk and Donghae were discharged from their mandatory military service on July 12 and July 14, respectively. They held fan meeting Hello Again on July 23 at Sejong University Daeyang Hall and participated in SM Town Live World Tour VI in Japan on July 27–28.\n\nThe duo will be releasing one Japanese song every month starting November 2017 to head their full album releases sometime in 2018. On November 29, they released the first Japanese single of the series, titled \"Here We Are\". One month later, on December 26, D&E released the second Japanese single titled \"You don't go\".\n\nOn January 31, 2018, they released their third Japanese monthly single titled \"If You\", written and composed by Donghae. On February 28, 2018, their fourth Japanese monthly single \"Circus\", with the concept film where Donghae and Eunhyuk downsized into video game characters, playing a \"Circus\" chase game. On March 28, 2018, their fifth Japanese monthly single, titled \"Lose It\". The music video with the duo's toy model as main characters, was released in 3 episodes on March 28, 2018, March 30, 2018, and April 1, 2018. On April 2, 2018, the full version of the music video was then released. Their sixth Japanese monthly single \"Can I Stay...\" was released on April 25, 2018. The seventh Japanese monthly single \"Hot Babe\" was released on May 31, 2018.\n\nIn June 2018, D&E announced the release of their second full-length Japanese album titled STYLE on August 8, 2018, which contains every monthly song that had been released and also new songs, including the lead single \"Sunrise\" and \"Polygraph\". Following the release of the album, the Japan nationwide tour titled \"Style\" would be held from September 2018 to November 2018 in seven cities Yokohama, Kobe, Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Sapporo.\n\nD&E released their second Korean EP titled 'Bout You on August 16, 2018. They promoted on TV and on digital platforms through music shows, variety shows, and performances with the lead single, titled the same as the EP. The album was released as three versions: D&E version, Donghae version, and Eunhyuk version. The D&E version was #1 on the Gaon chart and sold more than 101,100+ copies.\n\nThe subunit released their third Korean EP Danger on April 15, 2019, two days after their first domestic concert in Korea, The D&E. The album debuted at #2 on the Gaon chart in Korea and #23 on the Oricon chart in Japan. It sold over 90,500+ copies. The subunit promoted the album in Korea through various performances and appearances and also throughout Asia with the tour, which is their second Asia tour. The subunit will continue their promotions through The D&E until the main group's upcoming comeback in the later part of the year.\n\nOn December 31, 2019, they performed at Taipei New Year's Eve stage in Taiwan. They sang several of their hits single, namely \"Danger\", \"Growing Pains\", \"'Bout You\" and \"Oppa Oppa\".\n\nOn September 3, 2020, their fourth EP, Bad Blood was released, alongside Bad Liar on September 28. On November 25, 2020, they released their Japanese single titled \"Wings\".\n\nOn November 2, 2021, D&E released their first Korean studio album Countdown. Donghae and Eunhyuk first releaseed solo songs as pre-release singles for their upcoming album. Donghae released the single \"California Love\" on October 13, featuring Jeno of NCT, while Eunhyuk released the single \"Be\" on October 20. On December 10, they will release a special version of their studio album titled Countdown - Zero ver. (Epilogue).\n\nDiscography\n\n Ride Me (2014)\n Style (2018)\n Countdown (2021)\n\nTours and concerts\n\nAsia tour\n Super Junior D&E Asia Tour 2015 -Present- (2015)\n The D&E (2019)\n\nJapan tour\n Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour 2014\n Super Junior-D&E Japan Tour 2015 -Present-\n Super Junior-D&E Japan Tour 2018 ~Style~\n\nSupporting act\n 2015 FAMILY FESTIVAL 'K-WAVE CONCERT'\n2018 Sweet 17 Trans Media\n\nAwards and nominations\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Official website \n Official website \n\nJapanese-language singers of South Korea\nK-pop music groups\nSuper Junior subgroups\nSouth Korean boy bands\nSouth Korean dance music groups\nSouth Korean musical duos\nSouth Korean synthpop groups\nMusical groups established in 2011\nMusical groups from Seoul\nSM Entertainment artists\nSM Town\n2011 establishments in South Korea",
"Oppas (died after 712), also spelled Oppa, was a member of the Visigothic elite in the city of Toledo on the eve of the Muslim conquest of Hispania. He was a son of Egica and therefore a brother or half-brother of Wittiza.\n\nAfter the defeat of king Roderic at the Battle of Guadalete, according to the Chronicle of 754, the Arabs under Tariq ibn Ziyad marched as far as Toledo, but Oppa, who was staying there, fled the city before they took it. Tariq executed many nobles still in the city on the pretense that they had assisted in Oppa's flight. Since the battle of Guadalete took place, according to the same chronicle, in 712 and the conquest of Toledo in 711 but after Roderic's defeat, either the battle of Guadalete must be pushed back or the conquest of Toledo pushed forward; the latter is preferred by Roger Collins. Though Oppa fled Toledo, he may have been caught and executed soon after; but there is no indication that he did not survive.\n\nIt is possible that the Oppa who fled Toledo and was a son of a previous king was the cause of the \"internal fury\" which wracked Spain at the time, as recorded in the Chronicle. Perhaps Oppa had been elected, declared, or even consecrated king at Toledo by rivals of both Roderic and his opponent Achila II, either before Roderic's final defeat or between his death and the Arab capture of Toledo. If so, the death of the nobles who had \"ambition for the kingdom\" mentioned by the chronicler may have been Oppa's supporters who were killed in Toledo by the Arabs shortly after the battle in the south. Some historians, without any basis in the sources, have identified Oppa with Achila.\n\nOppa has grown in legend. According to the Chronicle of Alfonso III written in the late ninth century, he was a son of Wittiza, though based on Wittiza's approximate birth date, this is impossible. The Rotense version of the Alfonso III makes him an Archbishop of Toledo and the Ad Sebastianum version a Bishop of Seville. Oppa is said to have accompanied the Arab armies which invaded the Asturias in 718 in an attempt to put down Pelagius of Asturias. He reportedly engaged the rebel Goth in a long debate, but the Arabs were subsequently crushed in the Battle of Covadonga. This is undoubtedly a baseless legend. The only part of the general story presented by the Alfonso III that is otherwise backed up is the claim that he was bishop of Seville, since a late tenth-century manuscript mentions a bishop of that city named Oppa in the correct time period, but the chronicle may have been the list compiler's source. The Chronicle of Albelda confirms that a bishop Oppa was captured at Covadonga.\n\nAccording to late sources, Oppas's older brother or half-brother was Sisebut, who later became the count of the Christians of Coimbra, as were his son Ataulf (fl. 770), his grandson Athanaric (fl. 801–802), and his great-grandson Teudo (fl. 805), who had descendants also.\n\nLiterature\nIn Alexandre Herculano's Eurico, o Presbítero, Oppas is portrayed as a traitor to his own country, whose troops treacherously went to the conqueror's side, and a close collaborator of the conquerors Musa and Tarik. He ends up killed in a fight against the main character, Eurico.\n\nNotes\n\nSources\n\n8th-century Visigothic monarchs\nRoman Catholic archbishops of Seville\nGothic warriors\nUmayyad conquest of Hispania"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011"
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Who was it released with? | 2 | Who was Oppa Oppa released with? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Rodnie Jerome Graham, Jr. (born October 15, 1981), who goes by the stage name Swift but formerly R-Swift, is an American Christian hip hop musician. His first album Elevation 81.02 was released in 2003, with I-66 Entertainment, the second album Revolutionary Theme Muzik was released with Cross Movement Records in 2007. In 2008, he released, his third album, Soapbox, that was his first album to debut on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums charts. His fourth album would do likewise, which was released in 2009, Anthem, also with Cross Movement. The fifth album, Apply Pressure, with Rhyme Council and Central South, was released in 2013, and this got on the aforementioned chart, as well as, Christian Albums. He is now signed to Xist.\n\nEarly life\nR-Swift was born on October 15, 1981 as Rodnie Jerome Graham, Jr. in Long Island, New York, who moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a youngster and young adult.\n\nPersonal life\nR-Swift is married to Stacey, who is a cancer survivor, and together they now reside in Atlanta, Georgia. They have three daughters, who are Shayla, Jasmine, and Summer. Their only son died, who was Rodnie Jerome Graham, III, in 2009.\n\nMusic career\nHis first album Elevation 81.02 was released in 2003, with I-66 Entertainment, the second album Revolutionary Theme Muzik was released with Cross Movement Records on June 19, 2007. On June 10, 2008, he released, his third album, Soapbox, that was his first album to debut on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums charts at No. 20. His fourth album would do likewise at No. 22, which was released on October 6, 2009, Anthem, also with Cross Movement. The fifth album, Apply Pressure, with Rhyme Council and Central South, was released on June 11, 2013, and this got on the aforementioned chart at No. 21, as well as, Christian Albums at No. 46. He is presently signed to Xist Music.\n\nDiscography\n\nStudio albums\n\nReferences\n\n1981 births\nLiving people\nAfrican-American rappers\nAfrican-American Christians\nMusicians from Pennsylvania\nPerformers of Christian hip hop music\nRappers from New York (state)\nRappers from Philadelphia\n21st-century American rappers\n21st-century African-American musicians\n20th-century African-American people",
"Bryce Harris (born January 16, 1989) is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Fresno State.\n\nProfessional career\n\nAtlanta Falcons\nOn May 2, 2012, Harris signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent. On August 31, 2012, he was released and subsequently signed to the team's practice squad the next day.\n\nNew Orleans Saints\nHarrris signed with the New Orleans Saints to join the active roster from the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. On November 25, 2012, he made his NFL Debut against the San Francisco 49ers, but was unable to finish the game due getting injured in the first quarter. On November 27, 2012, he was placed on Injured Reserve due to his broken leg injury.\n\nThe Saints re-signed Harris on March 20, 2015.\n\nSecond stint with the Falcons\nHarris was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Falcons on September 6, 2015, after being released by the Saints the previous day.\n\nOn September 3, 2016, Harris was released by the Falcons.\n\nJacksonville Jaguars\nOn October 5, 2016, Harris was signed by the Jaguars. He was released by the Jaguars on November 18, 2016.\n\nMiami Dolphins\nHarris was claimed off waivers the Dolphins on November 21, 2016. He was released on December 6, 2016.\n\nSecond stint with the Saints\nOn May 22, 2017, Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints. He was released on September 11, 2017, but was re-signed the next day. He was released on September 25, 2017. He was re-signed on October 13, 2017, only to be released four days later.\n\nDetroit Lions\nOn October 18, 2017, Harris signed with the Detroit Lions. He was released on October 26, 2017.\n\nSan Francisco 49ers\nOn November 1, 2017, Harris signed with San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal, but was released three days later.\n\nThird stint with the Saints\nOn November 6, 2017, Harris was claimed off waivers by the Saints. He was released on November 18, 2017, but re-signed 11 days later. He was released again on December 12, 2017. He was re-signed again on January 10, 2018.\n\nPittsburgh Steelers\nOn June 4, 2018, Harris signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal. He was waived with a non-football illness designation on July 26, 2018.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nFresno State Bulldogs bio\nAtlanta Falcons bio\n\n1989 births \nLiving people\nAmerican football offensive tackles\nFresno State Bulldogs football players\nAtlanta Falcons players\nNew Orleans Saints players\nJacksonville Jaguars players\nMiami Dolphins players\nDetroit Lions players\nSan Francisco 49ers players\nPittsburgh Steelers players"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,"
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | When did he perform with super junior? | 3 | When did Eunhyuk perform with super junior? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Super Junior Full House () is a reality television series broadcast from May 27, 2006, to August 26, 2006. The show was a 25-minute comedy that aired every Saturday during the airtimes of SBS Realtime, after the airing of Love Letter. The show presents comedic experiences between the South Korean boy band Super Junior and two female international students, who did a homestay with Super Junior for a month.\n\nBackground\nTwo female international students - Anya, a 20-year-old half-Russian half-Polish intern, and Eva, a 25-year-old half-Japanese half-English of Polish descent intern - arrive in Seoul, South Korea to do a home stay with half the members of Super Junior. While living with Super Junior, the two foreign students experience comedic adventures with the group and develop deep friendships. A comedy, these thirteen episodes center mostly around Super Junior learning English.\n\nAlthough all members are seen throughout the show, it mainly features members Heechul, Eunhyuk, Hankyung, Kangin, Donghae, Siwon, and Kibum.\n\nSee also\n Super Junior\n Seoul Broadcasting System\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n SBS Realtime\n SBS Introduction\n SBS Board\n\nSeoul Broadcasting System original programming\nSouth Korean reality television series\nSuper Junior television series\n2006 South Korean television series debuts\n2006 South Korean television series endings",
"Blue World is the fifth Japanese language single of South Korean boy band Super Junior, released on 11 December 2013 by Avex Trax.\n\nBackground\nIt was announced on September 26, 2013, during the event E.L.F-JAPAN FESTIVAL 2013 that Super Junior would be releasing their fifth official Japanese single, \"Blue World\", in December 2013. The song will be the first original Japanese release by the group. It was later revealed on October 23 the single was set for December 11, containing on the B-Side another song named \"Candy\". The single was released in three different editions: CD-only, 2CD+DVD and E.L.F JAPAN version.\n\nOn November 8, 2013, Avex released a highlight medley of the upcoming single through YouTube with a preview of both songs and revealed the different covers from each edition of the single. This will be the first song of the group involving Heechul after he came back from the military service.\n\nCommercial performance\n\"Blue World\" peaked on the daily Oricon Singles Chart at number two, having sold 46,968 copies. It charted at #2 in the Oricon Weekly Chart with 68,684 copies sold.\n\nPromotion\nSuper Junior made a collaboration with Tokyo JoyPolis named \"Play the Blue World\" with 3D technology, full color laser system and illumination stage until January 13, 2014, to promote the single. Super Junior also perform a live version of the song in their Super Show 5 in Kyocera Dome, Osaka in November, 2013.\n\nTrack listing\n\nDVD\n \"Blue World\" music video\n \"Blue World\" music video making-of\n\nCharts and sales\n\nOricon\n\nReferences \n\nSuper Junior songs\nJapanese-language songs\n2013 singles\nSM Entertainment singles\nAvex Trax singles\n2013 songs"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Did he release any singles? | 4 | Did Eunhyuk release any singles? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Joseph Egan (born 18 October 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter.\n\nEarly career\nEgan was born into an Irish Catholic family in Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Along with former St Mirin's Academy schoolmate Gerry Rafferty, he played in various smaller British bands, such as The Sensors and The Maverix, and worked as a session musician.\n\nStealers Wheel\nIn 1972, he and Rafferty founded the folk/rock band Stealers Wheel. After two unsuccessful singles, their song \"Stuck in the Middle With You\"—co-written by the two—became a hit in 1973, and reached the Top Ten of both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Subsequently, the band had a few smaller successes, among others, with the Egan-penned song \"Star\", but stagnating sales figures and artistic differences finally led to the band's break-up in 1975.\n\nSolo work\nEgan and Rafferty were contractually obliged not to release any recordings for three years; eventually Egan recorded a solo debut album, Out of Nowhere, in 1979. He registered a minor hit with his first single release \"Back on the Road\", and that same year released a second single titled \"Out Of Nowhere\".\n\n1981 saw the release of his second album, Map, which was not a critical or commercial success, and subsequently no singles were released in support of it. After this he did not release any new recordings and left the music industry, though he did briefly reunite with Rafferty to perform vocals on some tracks on the latter's 1992 album On a Wing and a Prayer.\n\nAfter the music business\nAs of 2005, Egan lived in Renfrewshire and ran a publishing company from home.\n\nDiscography\n\nAlbums\n 1979: Out of Nowhere\n 1981: Map\n\nReferences\n\n1946 births\nLiving people\nBritish soft rock musicians\nMusicians from Paisley, Renfrewshire\nPeople educated at St Mirin's Academy\nScottish people of Irish descent\nScottish session musicians\nScottish singer-songwriters",
"\"Say a Prayer\" is the first single from dance-pop vocalist Taylor Dayne's Greatest Hits compilation album.\n\nSingle\nTaylor did not record any new tracks for her Greatest Hits release. Arista instead released as the first single a remixed version of a track from Soul Dancing.\n\nCharts\nThe song was a hit in the club scenes, peaking at No. 5 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It peaked at #58 on the UK Singles Chart.\n\nCD single remixes \nThe following are the different remixes included on the U.S. release:\n\nBoss Club Mix – 7:48\nVission Lorimer Remix – 6:28\nBoss Dub Mix – 6:56\nVission Lorimer Dub – 5:32\nMass Dub – 6:44\n\n1995 singles\nTaylor Dayne songs\n1995 songs\nSongs written by Shep Pettibone\nSongs written by Taylor Dayne\nSong recordings produced by Shep Pettibone"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | How did he treat his fans? | 5 | How did Eunhyuk treat his fans? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | false | [
"David Alcott, better known as David Champagne, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His most prominent band was Treat Her Right.\n\nAlcott grew up in Kansas City. After spending time in New York and California, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a longtime fixture on the local music scene. Around the turn of the 1980s, he was in Shane Champagne, which Trouser Press described as being like Graham Parker's band, the Rumour. This group issued several singles. Alcott was also in Pink Cadillac, \"a sharp rockabilly-cum-rock'n'roll trio\" that released one EP in 1983.\n\nIn Treat Her Right, Champagne's \"tremulous slide guitar\" provided part of the band's distinctive quality, as Nashville music journalist Robert K. Oermann put it. People magazine wrote that Champagne mimicked the moaning vocal-slide guitar interplay that Robert Plant and Jimmy Page did so well in the early days of Led Zeppelin. That article also noted how Champagne and Mark Sandman wrote \"bona-fide bad luck songs with a wink.\"\n\nWhereas Sandman achieved greater fame with Morphine, Champagne was not in the limelight after Treat Her Right disbanded. Yet he continues to perform in the Boston area under his stage name. In recent years, his project has been called Agnostic Gospel. His wife Katie has been his partner in some of his musical endeavors.\n\nIn 2019, Champagne got together with drummer Billy Conway and harmonica player Jim Fitting - the two other members of Treat Her Right - and recorded an album. A live date for the trio billed as \"Billy, Jimmy, & Dave\" was announced for January 19, 2020 at Club Passim in Cambridge - their first appearance together on stage since all were in Treat Her Right.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \nInterview with David Champagne at Identitytheory.com, 2001\n\nAmerican rock guitarists\nAmerican rock singers\nAmerican rock songwriters\nLiving people\nYear of birth missing (living people)",
"The Calm Before the Storm (also released as two separate EPs entitled Calm and Storm) is the third studio album by Colton Dixon. Sparrow Records alongside Capitol Christian Music Group released the album on September 11, 2015.\n\nCritical reception\n\nKevin Sparkman from CCM Magazine gave the album four stars and described it as \"Together, the collection is a smart collision that provides a soundtrack to fit any mood of the day.\" Christopher Smith from 'Jesus Freak Hideout gave the album three stars and wrote \"The Calm Before The Storm is kind of odd the way it is presented. This project is really two separate EP's, so forcing them together results in a disjointed listen. Ultimately though, this project is a pleasant treat for Colton fans, and worth a spin for just about everyone else.\" Caitlin Lassiter from New Release Today gave the album four stars and responded \"The Calm Before The Storm seems to be the perfect collision of acoustic and remix.\" Ian Homer from Cross Rhythms gave the album a seven out of ten and replied \"One assumes this is written from personal experience and it will undoubtedly chime with many of his fans.\"\n\nLogan Turner from HM Magazine, gave the album three and a half stars and wrote \"These new versions of Dixon’s biggest hits provide a fresh face to his music and are a real treat for his fans.\" Jonathan Andre from 365 Days of Inspiring Media gave the album four stars and stated \"Colton’s songwriting skills way beyond his years, and the ability to transform songs into stripped down acoustic renditions are reasons alone to check out both Calm EP and Storm EP.\" Lauren McLean from The Christian Beat gave the album 4.1 stars and recognized that \"The Calm Before The Storm truly has something for everyone. Justin Sarachik from BreathCast stated \"The Calm Before the Storm is a great addition to the collection of fans of Colton Dixon's. While lyrically or on the message side, the listener won't get anything new except \"Where I End,\" musically it is entirely new and offers a fresh perspective. Sometimes artists rework songs and overdo it or make good songs bad. Dixon, did not do this in that case, and in some cases improved the songs. He also does a really good job at driving home the points of \"Calm\" and \"Storm\" with each half of the EPs.\"\n\nTrack listing\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\n2015 albums\nColton Dixon albums\nSparrow Records albums"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Did he perform live? | 6 | Did Eunhyuk perform live? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Without Medication Plus MTV \"Buzz Live\" is the first live album by US singer-songwriter Marcella Detroit, released in 1996 exclusively in Japan. The album did not receive a full commercial release, distributed only on promotional CDs. According to Detroit, whilst in Japan she was asked to be the first artist to perform on a show titled MTV Buzz Live. The album consists of the studio version of \"Without Medication\", a track from her album Feeler, and the nine performances from the thirteen-piece live concert.\n\nTrack listing\n\nReferences \n\n1996 albums",
"3 (sometimes referred to as Emerson, Berry & Palmer) were a short-lived progressive rock band formed by former Emerson, Lake & Palmer members Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and American multi-instrumentalist Robert Berry in 1988.\n\nAfter one album, To the Power of Three, 3 split up. Emerson & Palmer reunited with Greg Lake for 1992's Black Moon and Berry would form Alliance.\n\nThey performed live, as \"Emerson and Palmer\" (Berry was onstage but unnamed), at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988, broadcast on HBO, but only performed a long medley instrumental set including Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein's America, and Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo, which later became an ELP encore in their 1990s concerts. They did not perform any original ELP material without Lake, nor did they perform any 3 songs since the band's label was Geffen Records.\n\n3 performed at live venues to support their album, sometime in 1988. The three studio musicians were sometimes augmented by Paul Keller on guitar, Debra Parks and Jennifer Steele on backing vocals. Their setlist mainly consisted of material from their album, including \"Runaway\" and an extended jam version of the cover song \"Eight Miles High\". The group did a different arrangement of \"Desde La Vida\". The band did long instrumental jams based on music ELP covered including \"Hoedown\" & \"Fanfare for the Common Man\", but did not do any original ELP compositions. A long, elaborate cover of The Four Tops' \"Standing in the Shadows of Love\" was also included in the set.\n\nTwo live albums were released many years later, both on Rock Beat Records: Live Boston 88 (2015) and Live - Rockin' The Ritz (2017).\n\nIn October 2015, Emerson and Berry signed a contract with Frontiers Records to record a follow-up album at last, to be called 3.2. Emerson's death in March of the following year put a halt to that project. However, in July 2018, Berry released (as 3.2) The Rules Have Changed, built from musical ideas contributed by Emerson, but produced and performed entirely by Berry. A second 3.2 album, Third Impression, was released in 2021.\n\nBand members\nKeith Emerson - keyboards (1988–1989)\nRobert Berry - lead vocals, guitars, bass (1988–1989)\nCarl Palmer - drums, percussion (1988–1989)\n\nLive members\nPaul Keller – guitars (1988–1989)\nDebra Parks - backing vocals (1988-1989)\nJennifer Steele – backing vocals (1988–1989)\n\nDiscography\n\nStudio albums\n\nSingle\n\nReferences\n\nSee also\nEmerson, Lake & Palmer\nEmerson, Lake & Powell\n\nEnglish progressive rock groups\nRock music supergroups\nMusical groups established in 1988\nMusical groups disestablished in 1989\nMusical trios"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he perform live?",
"From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Did he have any other live shows? | 7 | Did Eunhyuk have any other live shows other than Super Junior? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"The following is a list of people who have been guests on Saturday Night Live. This section consists of people who fall between the letter E through H.\n\nThe list below shows the people who have appeared on the show. It is split into three sections: Host, if the person hosted the show at any given time; Musical guest, if a person was the musical guest on the show at any given time; and Cameo, which is for a person who has appeared on the show but did not act as host or musical guest at any given time.\n\nE\n\nF\n\nG\n\nH\n\nSee also\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (A–D)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (I–L)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (M–P)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (Q–T)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (U–Z)\n\nReferences\n\n \n\nGuests E-H\n\npt:Anexo:Lista de convidados do Saturday Night Live",
"The following is a list of people who have been guests on Saturday Night Live. This section consists of people who fall between the letters U and Z.\n\nThe list below shows the people who have appeared on the show. It is split into three sections: Host, if the person hosted the show at any given time; Musical guest, if a person was the musical guest on the show at any given time; and Cameo, which is for a person who has appeared on the show but did not act as host or musical guest at any given time.\n\nU\n\nV\n\nW\n\nX\n\nY\n\nZ\n\nSee also\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (A–D)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (E–H)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (I–L)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (M–P)\nList of Saturday Night Live guests (Q–T)\n\nReferences\n\nGuests U-Z\n\npt:Anexo:Lista de convidados do Saturday Night Live"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he perform live?",
"From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC.",
"Did he have any other live shows?",
"Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Did he release any other albums? | 8 | Did Eunhyuk release any other albums besides Oppa Oppa? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"West Coast Bad Boyz, Vol. 1: Anotha Level of the Game is the first compilation album released by No Limit Records. It was originally released on August 9, 1994, but was later re-released on July 22, 1997. Due to it being a re-release, the album couldn't make it to the Billboard 200 or any other regular charts, but it did make it to #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums. Due to a beef between Master P and King George, Two songs that featured George [Locked Up and Peace 2 Da Streets] were not included on the 1997 re-release.\n\nTrack listing \nWest Coast Bad Boyz, Vol. 1: Anotha Level of the Game\n\nReferences\n\nHip hop compilation albums\n1994 compilation albums\nNo Limit Records compilation albums\nPriority Records compilation albums\nGangsta rap compilation albums",
"World Famous Classics: 1993–1998 is the first of three greatest hits albums by hip hop group The Beatnuts. It was released by Sony BMG in 1999 two weeks after the release of The Beatnuts' most commercially successful album, A Musical Massacre. It contains songs from The Beatnuts' first three albums, as well as its two EPs. The album does not feature any exclusive songs. World Famous Classics did not chart upon release, and is currently out of print.\n\nTrack listing\n\nReferences\n\nThe Beatnuts albums\n1999 greatest hits albums"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he perform live?",
"From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC.",
"Did he have any other live shows?",
"Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.",
"Did he release any other albums?",
"In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | Was he ever on television? | 9 | Was Eunhyuk ever on television? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | on MBC. | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Sea Stories was a British television series which aired 1936 to 1937 on the BBC. It was one of the earliest series ever aired on television. It consisted of A.B. Campbell describing the personalities and places he had seen. The programs preceding and following it varied, for example one episode was preceded by Theatre Parade and followed by The World of Women, while another episode was preceded a mix of short variety segments and followed by Sophisticated Cabaret.\n\nNone of the episodes still exist, as methods to record live television did not exist until late 1947, and were used very rarely by the BBC until the mid-1950s.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nSea Stories on IMDb\n\n1930s British television series\n1936 British television series debuts\n1937 British television series endings\nLost BBC episodes\nBBC Television shows\nBritish live television series\nBlack-and-white British television shows",
"The Big Revue was a Canadian variety television show. It was the first ever production of CBC Television when both debuted in 1952. The show was directed by Norman Jewison and written by John Aylesworth and Frank Peppiatt. The pilot episode first aired on 9 September 1952.\n\nThe series was hosted by actress Toby Robins who would later rise to fame as a panelist on Front Page Challenge. It was on The Big Revue that Don Harron introduced TV audiences to his country bumpkin alter ego, \"Charlie Farquharson\" (who years later would be immortalized on the American series Hee Haw and the Canadian series The Red Green Show.).\n\nExternal links\n \n Queen's University Directory of CBC Television Series (The Big Revue archived listing link via archive.org)\n The Big Review at Canadian Communications Foundation\n\n1950s Canadian variety television series\n1952 Canadian television series debuts\n1953 Canadian television series endings\nBlack-and-white Canadian television shows\nCBC Television original programming\n1950s Canadian sketch comedy television series"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he perform live?",
"From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC.",
"Did he have any other live shows?",
"Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.",
"Did he release any other albums?",
"In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July.",
"Was he ever on television?",
"on MBC."
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | What show was he on? | 10 | What show was Eunhyuk on? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | MBC Star Audition, | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"Thingee is a puppet which was used as an unofficial ambassador and icon for New Zealand children's television during the 1990s, appearing in multiple television shows such as The Son of a Gunn Show, and also children's programme, What Now. He appeared on T-shirts, dolls, puzzles and advertising all over New Zealand. He was voiced by After School camera operator and director Alan Henderson, brother of Tony, who died on 15 February 2020.\n\nAppearance\nThingee was usually presented as a grey (with brown undertones) humanoid thing with large bulbous eyes, a large toothless snout and a domed head. In a similar manner to the Rainbow characters Zippy and George, he was generally shown from the shoulders up, with one arm.\n\nCharacter history\nAccording to Stephen Campbell, one of the creators, both Thingee's name and species were accidental. The puppet was originally based on a duck, and the name used as a placeholder until they thought of a proper one.\n\nThingee first appeared on After School in 1987, under the hosting of Richard Evans and Annie Roach. Viewers first saw what was believed to be perhaps the egg of a dragon, Thingee existed in egg form for several weeks on the show until he hatched. Thingee later teamed up with Jason Gunn, who would from then on become his regular colleague, in 1988 when Jason took over as host for After School. Jason and Thingee continued working together in 1989 on After 2.\n\nFrom 1992 on he co-hosted Jason Gunn vehicles Jase TV and The Son of a Gunn Show. They later starred in the straight to video film Jason and Thingee's Big Adventure. Thingee also appeared in celebrity editions of Wheel of Fortune, test cricket commentary and Face the Music in 1992.\n\nFrom 1996 he was a host on the Sunday morning television show What Now, where it was revealed that the character was an alien and eventually Thingee made contact with his people and made the decision to return home to his own planet. As a result, the character was retired from New Zealand television.\n\nAppearances after retirement\n\n 2001 – Thingee helped co-host the What Now 20th birthday party\n 2007 – Thingee came back to TV on the TVNZ lifestyle show Good Morning\n 2008 – A further appearance on Good Morning, due to the TVNZ Goodnight Kiwi returning to the airwaves\n 2010 – Thingee appeared once again on Good Morning in celebration of the 50th anniversary of TVNZ\n 2010 – In a dream on the show Wanna-Ben\n 2012 – Wishing TVNZ U a Happy Birthday\n 2015 – TV3 appearance on 7 Days (S07E09) alongside Jason Gunn\n 2017 – SKY Sport behind the scenes at the cricket\n\nAppearances in popular culture\nDuring a recording of Son of a Gunn in 1994, one of Thingee's eyeballs popped out. While this outtake was not included in the episode that was eventually broadcast, shortly afterwards the clip was screened on a TVNZ bloopers show, where it found fame and became an iconic Kiwi television moment. The eyepop scene was used in the opening credits of the satirical show Eating Media Lunch.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n The Day I Met Thingee, New Zealand Herald\n The Son of a Gunn Show: Thingee's Eye Pop\n\nNew Zealand culture\nNew Zealand television personalities\nPuppets",
"The Doug Gottlieb Show is an afternoon drivetime sports talk and debate radio show on Fox Sports Radio that airs weekdays 3–6pm ET.\nThe show was formerly on ESPN Radio from 2006-2012. Since debuting on November 13, 2006, the host of the program has been hosted by former Oklahoma State Cowboys guard and current Fox Sports college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb. Jon Stashower was the SportsCenter anchor for the show in the 8pm-11pm slot until 2008, when he was moved to the afternoon spot allowing anchors Marc Kestecher and Neil Jackson to split the time between 8pm–11pm. He rejoined the show on February 2, 2009 when it was moved to its earlier slot.\n\nThe debuting of The Doug Gottlieb Show, caused a major shake up in the ESPN Radio lineup, as SportsNation on ESPN Radio was dropped completely from the airwaves and The Brian Kenny Show was created to take up the later slot, from 8pm-10pm.\n\nSince joining ESPN Radio in September 2003, Gottlieb had co-hosted GameNight along with personalities such as Chuck Wilson, Jeff Rickard, John Seibel and Freddie Coleman. Due to Gottlieb's extensive work for ESPN's college basketball coverage, the primary fill-in host for the program during the evening was Andy Gresh but since Gresh's departure from ESPN Radio, Jason Smith was the regular substitute for Gottlieb.\n\nOn July 31, 2012 it was announced that Gottlieb had signed with CBS and would no longer be appearing on ESPN. His last show on ESPN was July 30, and his first with CBS was January 2, 2013.\nGottlieb joined Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports Radio on March 22, 2017. His last show at CBS Sports Radio was on April 14, 2017.\n\nDesign\n\nSegments\nGame Time: Doug Gottlieb Show sports news update correspondent Dan Beyer gives Gottlieb a different game to play each day of the week. Games include: \"Psychic\", \"The Draft\", \"Rank'em\", along with others.\nWhat Does the Fox Say?: Since joining Fox Sports, Gottlieb gives his take on what his Fox Sports colleagues had to say on certain topics.\nThe Press: Gottlieb ends the show by giving his take on current sports news.\n\nReferences\n\nAmerican sports radio programs\nSirius XM Radio programs\nConservative talk radio"
]
|
[
"Eunhyuk",
"2011-2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior",
"When was Oppa Oppa released?",
"16 December 2011",
"Who was it released with?",
"Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa,",
"When did he perform with super junior?",
"first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011.",
"Did he release any singles?",
"This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012.",
"How did he treat his fans?",
"I don't know.",
"Did he perform live?",
"From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC.",
"Did he have any other live shows?",
"Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.",
"Did he release any other albums?",
"In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July.",
"Was he ever on television?",
"on MBC.",
"What show was he on?",
"MBC Star Audition,"
]
| C_b2bb0b7b35f148ed986ce79fdb1c1c0c_0 | When did the show air? | 11 | When did the show MBC Star Audition air? | Eunhyuk | On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo. Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay. CANNOTANSWER | 10 April 2012 | Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T and Super Junior-H. In 2011, he joined Super Junior's Mandopop subgroup Super Junior-M and the duo Super Junior-D&E, active in China and Japan respectively.
Gaining attention as the main dancer of Super Junior, he branched out with solo activities beginning as radio host through Super Junior's Kiss the Radio (2006–2011). Through television, Eunhyuk has also been a cast member in popular variety shows such as Star King (2009–11), Let's Go Dream Team 2 (2009–2011) and Strong Heart (2009–2013). After his return from enlistment in 2017, he continued as a concert director for various artists, then transitioned to a performance director and dance mentor in Under Nineteen (2018–2019) and is currently the host of Weekly Idol (2020).
Early life
Eunhyuk was born Lee Hyuk-jae in Neunggok, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. He has an older sister called Lee So-ra. Raised in a family that struggled financially, he was interested in street performing as a child. Inspired by the likes of H.O.T's Jang Woo-hyuk, Michael Jackson and singer-dancer Yoo Seung-jun, Eunhyuk trained himself at a young age. In elementary school he started a dance crew, 'SRD', which stood for Song Rap and Dance. The group consisted of him and his childhood friends Kim Junsu, Hwang Tae Jun, and Choi Min Seok. The crew's popularity prospered in their hometown; and when SRD appeared in a local newspaper, it was then that Eunhyuk cemented his dream to become a singer/performer.
In 1999, together with Junsu he auditioned for SM Entertainment through the company's Starlight Casting System at age 13. However he failed the audition in 1999 and entered again the following year and got in as a trainee. He began training in singing, dancing, acting, and had brief Mandarin Chinese language courses. He was also scouted with an interview offer from a top modelling agency in Seoul, yet declined due to contract issues. In the midst of trainee life in 2000, he reached SM's master dance class and won the Goyang citywide dance competition in 2000. In 2002, Eunhyuk, Kim Junsu, and another trainee Sungmin were placed in a project R&B group. A year later, the group along with three future members from TRAX (Jay Kim, No Minwoo, Kang Jungwoo) made a brief appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock, in which Moon Hee-joon and Kangta taught them techniques on different types of singing. In 2003 the trio disbanded when Junsu went on to debut as a member of TVXQ. Eunhyuk and Sungmin were then placed in another project group with ten other male trainees, Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
Career
2005–2006: Debut with Super Junior
Eunhyuk officially debuted as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, where the group performed their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)". Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. Through their first official album, Eunhyuk helped produce as a lyricist and wrote the rap lyrics for a majority of Super Junior's songs. The rap lyrics to "Show Me Your Love" from the winter single with TVXQ was written by him, along with Heechul and Shindong, and "One Love", which became his solo performance in Super Junior's first concert, Super Show.
2006–2009: MC-ing, sub-groups, variety shows
Eunhyuk was partnered with bandmate Leeteuk as radio DJs for KBS Super Junior's Kiss The Radio (aka SUKIRA) starting on 21 August 2006. With the exception of four months from March to June 2011, where bandmate Yesung temporarily replaced Eunhyuk, while he was away on promotional activities for Super Junior-M's third EP Perfection.
Eunhyuk replaced Kangin as MC on Mnet's music programme M! Countdown in late 2006. He hosted with bandmates Leeteuk and Shindong for two years and four months. In February 2007, Eunhyuk was placed in the trot-singing sub group Super Junior-T and released the single Rokkugo. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H.
From 2009, along with Leeteuk and Shindong, Eunhyuk was cast as a panel for Star King. In the midst of Super Junior's growing popularity through their 3rd studio album Sorry, Sorry, Eunhyuk became a variety member of Strong Heart, where they hosted special segment, Boom Academy with comedian Boom. He became a member on KBS' Dream Team, an athletic competition show and guested on Intimate Note, Fantasy Couple, Miracle and Introduce The Star's Friend. Super Junior's prominence nationally and overseas lead them to their second concert tour, Super Show II and line-ups in 2009 Asia Song Festival, Dream Concert, and premium live events in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. It was then that Sorry, Sorry became critically and commercially successful hit in Asia; the first occasion in which the group won top honor at all of the local end-of-the-year music awards.
2010–2011: Musical theatre and album releases
On 26 February 2010, Eunhyuk was diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, but was set to appear as a guest at label mate Girls' Generation's Into the New World encore concert in Seoul, hence had to pull out and was replaced by bandmates Leeteuk and Heechul. Super Junior released their 4th studio album, Bonamana, with similar success in Korea, sweeping awards in music programs after the release date. Their follow-up song, Boom Boom, was choreographed by Eunhyuk and performed on music programs Inkigayo and Music Core. On October 8, 2010, the digital single 'Angel' for HARU OST was released, with Eunhyuk featuring a rap verse.
In 2011, Eunhyuk, along with Sungmin was placed two new members of Super Junior-M. On 27 September 2011, he along with Yesung and Shindong filled in for bandmate Heechul, who enlisted for mandatory military service on 1 September, during the performance on Music Bank and Show! Music Core of Kim Jang-hoon latest single, "Breakups are So Like Me". Heechul is featured in the song and starred in the music video, which was completed the day before he enlisted. Mr. Simple, Super Junior's award-winning 5th studio album, was promoted heavily with Eunhyuk participating in much of the album's production through choreography, and rap lyrics for the track, Oops. The album sold over 500,000 units and won the Disk Daesang Award at the 26th Golden Disk Awards and 21st Seoul Music Awards, as well as Album of the year at the 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. The album is listed as the 2nd best-selling album as of the year 2011.
In November, Eunhyuk made his musical theatre debut in Fame, where he played Tyrone Jackson, along with Tiffany of Girls' Generation, Son Ho Young, Lina of The Grace and Kim Jung Mo of TRAX. It was on at the Woori Financial Art Hall from 25 November 2011 to 29 January 2012. It was announced on 30 November 2011 that after five years, he and Leeteuk would leave Super Junior's Kiss the Radio and was replaced by fellow members, Sungmin and Ryeowook on 4 December 2011.
2011–2012: Oppa, Oppa and comeback with Super Junior
On 16 December 2011 Eunhyuk and Donghae released digital single Oppa, Oppa, where they first performed it at Super Junior's Super Show 4 Seoul concert on 19 November 2011. This marks the first release of their collaborations. The single was also released in Japanese with an original Japanese music video on 4 April 2012. On the day of its release, it reached number two on Oricon Daily Chart with 42,114 copies sold. While also preparing for Super Junior's first world tour Super Show 4, the pair held a fan meeting, Premium Mini Live Event, in support of the single on 11 April at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo.
Eunhyuk is MC for MBC every1's Super Junior Foresight, along with fellow members Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, Yesung and Shindong. From 23 March 2012, he took over as MC for the last three live shows of singing-survival program Great Birth 2, better known as MBC Star Audition, on MBC. As of the 10 April 2012 broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from Strong Heart, the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'.
In June 2012, Eunhyuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single released on 4 July. On 21 June 2012, the first teaser photo of Eunhyuk was released showing him in a white shirt, blue jeans, styled with a mullet-like hairstyle and blindfolded with white and pink flowers. In October SM Entertainment and Hyundai partnered up to release the "Maxstep" featuring Eunhyuk and other SM artists Super Junior-M's Henry Lau, SHINee's Lee Taemin, EXO-K's Kai, EXO-M's Luhan and Girl's Generation's Hyoyeon. The group became the official dance unit; Younique Unit. The official cover of Zedd's Spectrum was released via SBS Gayo Daejeon held on December 29, 2012, with Eunhyuk featuring. The single was performed by the members of SM The Performance and also included Donghae, along with TVXQ's Yunho, Shinee's Taemin and Minho and EXO's Kai and Lay.
2013–2014: Comebacks with Super Junior-M, concerts, mini-albums
On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7. They promoted the album in China. After returning to Korea, Eunhyuk heavily participated in variety shows, Come to Play (놀러와) and Barefooted Friends. Because of conflicting schedules due to Super Show 5: World Tour, Eunhyuk withdrew from both programs. Super Junior held 28 shows in total from March 2013 to February 2014, and toured in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
In the midst of concerts, Eunhyuk returned to the studio for album recording. He and Donghae released I Wanna Dance on June 19, 2013 in Japan. The single peaked at #3 on both the Gaon and Oricon charts. Still You, the follow-up single, was released on December 18, 2013. Donghae & Eunhyuk then debuted their first studio album, Ride Me, on February 26, 2014 under Avex Trax. The song became the main theme of the Japanese TV show, 'Sukkiri' (爽快情報バラエティー スッキリ!!).
Eunhyuk returned to Super Junior-M promotions via Swing. The EP consists of six songs, which were released for digital download on March 21, 2014 in China and Taiwan by S.M. Entertainment. The group released the album in Korean music sites, such as MelOn, genie, Naver music and more, on March 31, 2014, and promoted on Korean music programs.
The first Japanese tour for sub-group Donghae & Eunhyuk, Super Junior D&E The 1st Japan Tour, kicked off in Nagoya on March 4, 2014. After touring numerous cities, he participated in a dance project with Beat Burger, entitled "Beat Burger Project x Eunhyuk". In August, the project released an official video, choreographed to Yoo Young Jin's song "Mo Jazzy".
In August 2014, it was announced that Eunhyuk and Super Junior would be making their comeback with the group's seventh album, Mamacita which was released online on August 29 and in stores on September 1. On the album, Eunhyuk contributed choreography to their second lead single, 'Shirt,' which received praises from Allkpop, "The track is one of the most energetic on the album beyond the title track." The group made their official comeback performance on the Korean music show Music Bank with the songs "Shirt" and "Mamacita" on August 29 and continued their promotions on Music Core, Inkigayo and M! Countdown while preparing for their new world tour Super Show 6 which would open on September 19 on Seoul.
2015: Sub-group, main group comeback, military enlistment
In February 2015, Donghae & Eunhyuk first Korean album, The Beat Goes On was released on March 9, 2015. The album had seven tracks, including the title song, "Growing Pains". On April 1, Donghae & Eunhyuk released first Japanese mini-EP called Present, which contained a total of eight songs including the lead title "Saturday Night". The duo kicked off its concert tour "Super Junior D&E The 2nd Japan Tour" and "Super Junior-D&E Asia Tour" during April to August.
Super Junior special album, Devil was released on 16 July 2015 to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary. Eunhyuk participated in writing lyrics for song, "Alright".
On September 2, 2015, SM Entertainment announced that Eunhyuk enlisted for active duty military service on October 13, 2015.
2017–present: Comeback to music and television
Eunhyuk was discharged on July 12, 2017. After his discharge from his enlistment, Eunhyuk participated in the songs writing and composing for Super Junior's 8th Album "Play", which was released on the group's 12th anniversary.
In November 2017, Eunhyuk and Donghae announced their comeback in Japan as the duo group Super Junior D&E.
Eunhyuk began to serve as the concert director of his group's concert tours through Super Show 7, Super Show 7S, and the subunit Super Junior-D&E's The D&E.
Starting in January 2018, Eunhyuk and his Super Junior members started a new variety program called "Super Junior's Super TV".
On May 22, 2020, Super Junior held their press conference for their web reality show on V Live with Leeteuk as the main host. Fans were wondering why Eunhyuk was absent, and Shindong spoke up, saying, "Eunhyuk couldn't come because of personal reasons."
He is the current host of popular variety show, Weekly Idol, alongside Hwang Kwanghee, since April 2020.
Personal life
Car accident
On 19 April 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokuko", Eunhyuk was involved in a car accident, along with Shindong, Leeteuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers, when returning home following a recording of the radio show Super Junior Kiss the Radio. While they were on the highway, the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes and the van ran into the guard rail/median on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalized.
Discography
Lyrics and composition
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television shows
Web shows
Hosting
Radio shows
Musical theatre
Awards and nominations
References
External links
1986 births
Living people
People from Goyang
Japanese-language singers of South Korea
Mandarin-language singers of South Korea
South Korean male idols
South Korean pop singers
South Korean male singers
South Korean rhythm and blues singers
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean television presenters
South Korean radio presenters
South Korean singer-songwriters
Super Junior members
Super Junior-H members
Super Junior-T members
Donghae & Eunhyuk members
Super Junior-M members
Trot singers
South Korean male rappers
21st-century South Korean singers
South Korean male singer-songwriters
Weekly Idol members | true | [
"The Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival or Wonsan Air Festival is an air show first held in September 2016 at Kalma Airport in Wonsan, North Korea.\n\n2016\nAt the 2016 edition the Korean People's Army Air Force displayed a number of its aircraft, including Su-25, MiG-21 and MiG-29 combat aircraft. In addition Tu-134, Tu-154, An-24, Il-62 and Il-76 aircraft of Air Koryo, the North Korean national airline, also participated. Around 10,000-15,000 local spectators watched the show, as did a number of international journalists and around 200 international aviation enthusiasts.\n\n2017\nInitially there were plans to hold the air show every two years, but in March 2017 it was announced that a second edition of the air show would be held between 23 and 24 September 2017. It was announced that the MiG-23 fighter would appear.\n\nIn August 2017, a month before the event, the 2017 edition of the show was cancelled for \"geopolitical reasons\".\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n\nAir shows\nAviation in North Korea\n2016 establishments in North Korea",
"The Kecskemét International Air Show is a two-day-long air show held since the early 1990s at the Kecskemét Air Base of the Hungarian Defence Force. In 2008, when the annual Royal International Air Tattoo was cancelled, the Kecskemét Air Show became that year's biggest air show held in Europe. It was last held in August 2021.\n\nHistory\n\nThe first air show at Kecskemét was held on 18 and 19 August 1990. The show became the first occasion that NATO and Warsaw Pact military aircraft met in peaceful conditions, when two Soviet Air Force Mikoyan MiG-29s and two United States Air Force General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons arrived together.\n\nAfter a seven-year break, during which two air shows were held at Taszár Air Base, the Air Show was again held at Kecskemét, on 24 and 25 May 1997. The next show, held the following year, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Hungarian Defense Force, and the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Air Force. As well as Hungarian Air Force MiG-29s, the show featured the Turkish Stars aerobatic team. The 2000 show, held on 20 and 21 May, saw the first appearance of the Slovakian White Albatrosses and the Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatic teams. \n\nOn 16 and 17 August 2003, Kecskemét Air Base hosted the biggest air show ever held in Hungary so far. Three air force aerobatic teams accepted invitations to attend: the Frecce Tricolori, the Patrouille de France and the Turkish Stars. After a planned two-year recess, the Air Show was held again in 2005, on 6 and 7 August. The organisers planned a huge gathering of Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft. All air arms operating MiG aircraft were invited, but very few actually accepted, so the reunion was cancelled.\n\nThe 2007 Air Show was held on 11 and 12 August. The Krila Oluje aerobatic team from Croatia performed for the first time. The next show was held the following year, on 16 and 17 August. This was the first occasion the Eurofighter Typhoon visited Hungary to participate at an air show. Also, one of the world's biggest military cargo aircraft, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III made its first appearance at a Hungarian air show.\n\nThe next show was two years later, on 7 and 8 August 2010. The French Dassault Rafale visited Hungary for the first time. This year's show provided the last opportunity for the public to see MiG-29s in Hungarian colors, as the Hungarian Air Force had announced it would retire its MiG-29s from active service, replacing them with Saab JAS 39 Gripens. At the end of the show, Hungarian MiG-29s simulated a dogfight situation against Gripen aircraft.\n\nIn 2021 the Air Show was held on the weekend of 28-29 August.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Official site of the Kecskemét Air Show in 2013, in english\n Pictures from the 2005 Air Show\n\nAir shows\nTrade fairs in Hungary\nKecskemét"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell"
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | When did he go to cornell? | 1 | When did Christopher Reeve go to Cornell? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
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Woolsey family
American environmentalists | true | [
"The 1976 NCAA Division I tournament championship game was played at Brown University in front of 7,504 fans. The undefeated Cornell Big Red, led by Richie Moran, Mike French and Eamon McEneaney, defeated Maryland and Frank Urso 16 to 13 in overtime.\n\nTournament overview\nThroughout the 1970s Cornell University was dominant in lacrosse with four national championship appearances to go with three titles. The 1976 and 1977 versions of the Big Red are generally considered to be among the best college lacrosse teams of all time.\n\nThe Big Red's 1976 NCAA championship team featured Hall of Fame players, Eamon McEneaney, Mike French, Robert Henrickson, Dan Mackesey, as well as Hall of Fame coaches, Richie Moran and Michael Waldvogel.\n\nIn the matchup that lacrosse fans wanted to see, for the first time in NCAA tournament history two undefeated teams number 1 Maryland and number 2 Cornell met in the championship game. The game did not disappoint as Cornell down 7–2 at halftime outscored Maryland 6 to 2 in the third period to pull within one goal entering the final period. The Terps opened the fourth period with a goal to go up 10 to 8, but the next four goals belonged to Cornell who led 12 to 10 with three minutes to play. Maryland, however, would not back down and get back-to-back goals including a buzzer-beater to knot the game and send the contest into overtime. After an initial goal by the Terps’ Terry Kimball, this was not a sudden death first goal to win finals, Cornell would score four unanswered goals to claim the crown with a 16 to 13 victory.\n\nCornell earlier in the tournament recorded the only shutout in NCAA tournament history when they blanked Washington and Lee 14–0 in the first round. In a game that featured both snow and pouring rain, the Big Red did the improbable with goalie Dan Mackesey pitching a shutout making 13 saves. The number 7 seed Generals, who had been national semifinalists the previous year, had an impressive offensive unit coming into the contest having outscored its regular season opponents 147 to 89.\n\nIn a 22-11 semifinal win against Navy, Maryland's Ed Mullen had 7 goals and 5 assists to set a tournament record of 12 total points in one game.\n\nIn the finals, Mike French tied the then-NCAA tournament single-game scoring record, finishing the day with seven goals and four assists, while Dan Mackesey matched the then-tournament record for saves in a single-game with 28 stops.\n\nTournament results\n\n(i) one overtime\n\nTournament box scores\nTournament Finals\n\nTournament Semi-Finals\n\nTournament Quarterfinals\n\nTournament outstanding players\n\nMike French, Cornell, 20 points, Leading Tournament Scorer\n\n The NCAA did not designate a Most Outstanding Player until the 1977 national tournament. The Tournament outstanding player is listed here as the tournament leading scorer.\n\nTournament notes \n\n Cornell's 14–0 victory over Washington and Lee was the first shutout in the tournament's history.\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n1976 Title Game clip on YouTube\n\nNCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship\nNcaa Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship\nNCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship\nNCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship\nNCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship",
"The 1920–21 Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey season was the 15th season of play for the program. The teams was coached by Nick Bawlf in his 1st season.\n\nSeason\nAfter World War I, the continued interest in ice hockey prompted Cornell to restart its varsity program. The school brought in Nick Bawlf to head the program as well as the lacrosse and soccer teams, and he set about rebuilding the Big Red. The biggest impediment for the program, as it had been before the war, was the lack of an ice rink either on campus or otherwise. The team was forced to use Beebe Lake despite several attempts to build artificial rinks. Weather would be a constant source of frustration for the men's team for the next 37 years.\n\nCornell's season began against Hamilton and, unsurprisingly, the team lost its first game in almost 5 years. The Big Red went scoreless but the did keep the game close, losing 0–2 in front of a good-sized crowd. In the game Cornell eschewed the rover position, deciding to go with the updated rules that had only six players on each side. The second game a week later had a much better result for the team. After small adjustments to the lineup, Cornell scored 10 goals in the 40-minute match to get their first win since 1916.\n\nAfter the win the team didn't play another game until mid-February due to semester exams. When the team rejoined several changes had been made. Their goaltender Whitehall had been replaced by Kaw while Rollo and McDonald were gone from the team. The changed didn't prevent the Big Red from winning as they defeated Colgate in their final home game and prepared for a renewal with a pair of old rivals. Pennsylvania was making their third attempt at a varsity team but now the squad had access to a home rink. Cornell played its first game at a proper ice rink when they arrived for a game at the Philadelphia Ice Palace. The two sides were evenly matched and finished regulation tied 3–3. Penn scored a goal in the waning minutes of overtime and Cornell couldn't produce the equalized with little time remained. Their final game of the year came a week later against Columbia, who were returning to the game after a longer layoff than Cornell. The game was close early but Cornell surged at the end, scoring 4 goals late to win 7–4, ending their season with a winning record.\n\nM. G. Sullivan served as team manager.\n\nRoster\n\nStandings\n\nSchedule and Results\n\n|-\n!colspan=12 style=\";\" | Regular Season\n\n† Cornell records list this game as a 7–3 victory, however, contemporary reports from both Cornell and Columbia's newspapers report a 7–4 score.\n\nReferences\n\nCornell Big Red men's ice hockey seasons\nCornell\nCornell\n1920 in sports in New York (state)\n1921 in sports in New York (state)"
]
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[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,"
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | What did he study? | 2 | What did Christopher Reeve study? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from New York City
New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees
New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
People from Princeton, New Jersey
People with tetraplegia
Princeton Day School alumni
Critics of Scientology
Wheelchair users
Winthrop family
Woolsey family
American environmentalists | true | [
"The Predator is the third EP by American metalcore band Ice Nine Kills and was self-released by the band on January 15, 2013. The EP debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.\n\nIt is the only album to feature Steve Koch as bassist and backup singer after his departure in 2013, and the last album to feature Justin Morrow as rhythm guitarist; he would switch to bass guitar and backing vocals (on live performance only) while still playing rhythm guitar in studio in 2013.\n\nThe tracks \"The Coffin Is Moving\" and \"What I Never Learned in Study Hall\" later would be featured on the band's 2014 album The Predator Becomes the Prey.\n\nThe track \"What I Never Learned in Study Hall\" was later re-recorded acoustically for Take Action. Vol. 11 making it similar to the song's predecessors \"What I Really Learned in Study Hall\" and \"What I Should Have Learned in Study Hall\". Unlike the original version, the acoustic version did not feature Tyler Carter as guest vocalist, but instead featured former Kid's Jackson Summer vocalist Kate Ellen Dean.\n\nTrack listing\n\nPersonnel \n Spencer Charnas - lead vocals, piano on \"A Reptile's Dysfunction\"\n Justin \"JD\" DeBlieck - lead guitar, lead vocals\n Justin Morrow - rhythm guitar\n Steve Koch - bass guitar, backing vocals\n Connor Sullivan - drums\n Steve Sopchak - producer, engineer, mixing\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\n2013 EPs\nIce Nine Kills EPs\nSelf-released EPs",
"Homeric psychology is a field of study with regards to the psychology of ancient Greek culture no later than Mycenaean Greece, around 1700–1200 BCE, during the Homeric epic poems (specifically the Illiad and the Odyssey).\n\nHistory of Homeric psychology\nThe first scholar to present a theory was Bruno Snell in his 1953 book, originally in German. His argument was that the ancient Greek individual did not have a sense of self, and that later the Greek culture \"self-realized\" or \"discovered\" what we consider to be the modern \"intellect\".\n\nLater, Eric Robertson Dodds in 1951, wrote how ancient Greek thought may have been irrational, as compared to modern \"rational\" culture. In this Dodds' theory, the Greeks may have known that an individual did things, but the reason an individual did things were attributed to divine externalities, such as gods or daemons.\n\nJulian Jaynes proposed a theory in 1976. He stipulated that Greek consciousness emerged from the use of special words related to cognition. Some of Jaynes' findings were empirically supported in a 2021 study by Boban Dedović, a psychohistorian. The study compared the word counts of mental language between thirty-four versions of the Iliad and Odyssey.\n\nReferences \n\nConsciousness studies\nPhilosophy of mind\nPhilology\nCognitive psychology\nHistorical linguistics\nArguments in philosophy of mind"
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"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell"
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| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | Was he successful? | 3 | Was Christopher Reeve successful at Cornell? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from New York City
New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees
New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
People from Princeton, New Jersey
People with tetraplegia
Princeton Day School alumni
Critics of Scientology
Wheelchair users
Winthrop family
Woolsey family
American environmentalists | true | [
"Charles Young (September 1686 – 12 December 1758) was an English organist and composer. He was part of a well-known English family of musicians that included several professional singers and organists during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.\n\nBiography\nCharles Young was born sometime during September 1686 in the Covent Garden area of London and was baptised on 7 October of the same year. Born into a musical family, his initial studies were with his father alongside his elder brother Anthony Young, who would also become a successful organist and minor composer. He became a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral in the late 1690s where he sang for over a decade. In 1713, Young was appointed organist of All Hallows, Barking-by-the-Tower, where he remained until his death in 1758. His grandson, Charles John Frederick Lampe, replaced him as organist at All Hallows after his death.\n\nAs a composer, Young wrote music mostly for the Church of England. He was not prolific, producing only a handful of anthems and some organ preludes. He also composed a few vocal art songs. His reputation lies more on his skills as an organist and he was regarded as one of the finest players in England during the eighteenth century.\n\nSeveral of Young's children went on to have successful careers. His eldest daughter Cecilia Young (1712-1789) was one of the greatest English sopranos of the eighteenth century and the wife of composer Thomas Arne. Their son and Charles's grandson, Michael Arne, was a successful composer. His daughter Isabella was also a successful soprano and the wife of composer John Frederick Lampe, and his daughter Esther was a well known contralto and wife to Charles Jones, one of the largest music publishers in England during the eighteenth century. Young's only son, Charles, was a clerk at the Treasury, whose daughters, Isabella, Elizabeth, and Polly followed in the foot steps of their aunts to become successful singers.\n\nReferences\n\n1686 births\n1758 deaths\nEnglish organists\nBritish male organists\nEnglish composers\nCharles",
"This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between the 1917 election and the 1921 election, together known as the 10th Parliament.\n\nNotes\n The Labor member for Subiaco, Bartholomew James Stubbs, died in action in Belgium on 26 September 1917. At the resulting by-election on 10 November 1917, the Nationalist candidate, Samuel Brown, was successful.\n The Nationalist member for Claremont, John Stewart, resigned on 30 August 1918. At the resulting by-election on 14 September 1918, the Nationalist candidate, Thomas Duff, was successful.\n Sir James Mitchell, member for Northam, was appointed by Premier Hal Colebatch as Minister for Lands and Repatriation on 17 April 1919. Mitchell was therefore required to resign and contest a ministerial by-election, at which he was declared elected upon the close of nominations on 24 April 1919. He himself became premier three weeks later after the failure of the Colebatch Ministry.\n The Nationalist member for Albany, Herbert Robinson, died on 2 May 1919. At the resulting by-election on 31 May 1919, the National Labor candidate, former Premier John Scaddan, was successful.\n Thomas Draper, member for West Perth, was appointed by Premier James Mitchell as Attorney-General on 17 May 1919. Draper was therefore required to resign and contest a ministerial by-election, at which he was successful against an Independent candidate on 7 June 1919.\n Frank Broun, member for Beverley, was appointed by Premier James Mitchell as Colonial Secretary on 25 June 1919. Broun was therefore required to resign and contest a ministerial by-election, at which he was returned unopposed at the close of nominations on 10 July 1919.\n The National Labor member for Mount Leonora, George Foley, resigned on 18 November 1920, to run as the Nationalist candidate for the federal seat of Kalgoorlie at a by-election following the expulsion of Hugh Mahon from the Australian House of Representatives. At the resulting by-election on 20 December 1920, the Labor candidate, Thomas Heron, was successful.\n\nSources\n \n \n\nMembers of Western Australian parliaments by term"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale."
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | Were his professors impressed? | 4 | Were Christopher Reeve's professors impressed? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
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American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
Juilliard School alumni
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New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees
New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
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"Visiting Professors at Gresham College, Holborn, London, give free educational lectures to the general public. The college was founded for this purpose in 1596–1597, when it appointed seven professors; this has since increased to eight and plus the Visiting Professors.\n\nThe first Visiting Professors were appointed in 2000.\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n \n\nProfessorships at Gresham College\n2000 establishments in England\n2000 in London",
"The position of Savilian Professor of Astronomy was established at the University of Oxford in 1619. It was founded (at the same time as the Savilian Professorship of Geometry) by Sir Henry Savile, a mathematician and classical scholar who was Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Provost of Eton College. He appointed John Bainbridge as the first professor, who took up his duties in 1620 or 1621.\n\nThere have been 21 astronomy professors in all; Steven Balbus, the professor , was appointed in 2012. Past professors include Christopher Wren (1661–73), architect of St Paul's Cathedral in London and the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford; he held the professorship at the time of his commission to rebuild the cathedral after it was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Three professors have been awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society: Charles Pritchard (1870–93), Harry Plaskett (1932–60) and Joseph Silk (1999–2012). The two Savilian chairs have been linked with professorial fellowships at New College, Oxford, since the late 19th century. In the past, some of the professors were provided with an official residence, either near New College or at the Radcliffe Observatory, although this practice ended in the 19th century. The astronomy professor is a member of the Sub-Department of Astrophysics at Oxford.\n\nFoundation and duties\nSir Henry Savile, the Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Provost of Eton College, was deeply saddened by what the 20th-century mathematician Ida Busbridge has described as \"the wretched state of mathematical studies in England\", and so founded professorships in geometry and astronomy at the University of Oxford in 1619; both chairs were named after him. He also donated his books to the university's Bodleian Library. He required the professors to be men of good character, at least 26 years old, and to have \"imbibed the purer philosophy from the springs of Aristotle and Plato\" before acquiring a thorough knowledge of science. The professors could come from any Christian country, but he specified that a professor from England should have a Master of Arts degree as a minimum. He wanted students to be educated in the works of the leading scientists of the ancient world; in addition, the astronomy professor should cover Copernicus and the work of Arab astronomers. Tuition in trigonometry was to be shared by the two professors. As many students would have had little mathematical knowledge, the professors were also permitted to provide instruction in basic mathematics in English (as opposed to Latin, the language used in education at Oxford at the time). He also required the astronomy professor \"to take astronomical observations as well by night as by day (making choice of proper instruments prepared for the purpose, and at fitting times and seasons)\", and to place in the library records of his discoveries. Savile prohibited the professors from practicing astrology or preparing horoscopes, and stated that accepting any position as a priest or as an officer of the university or of a college would cause forfeiture of the professorship. Each professor was required to lecture in public for 45 minutes twice weekly during the university terms and would be fined 10 shillings for every day missed (except in cases of \"grievous bodily ailment\", although this excuse was only permitted for three weeks before the professor was required to provide a substitute lecturer). Students who were required to attend, but who failed to do without good cause, were to be fined sixpence. Savile provided that the rents from specified properties in Kent and Essex were to be divided equally between the professors, giving each £160 annually.\n\nAppointment\nSavile selected John Bainbridge to be the first astronomy professor; Bainbridge had impressed him with a description of a comet seen in 1618. In the documents establishing the professorship (sealed by Savile and the university in August 1619), Savile reserved to himself the right to appoint the professors during his lifetime, although he died in 1622 before the position fell vacant. He provided that after his death, vacancies should be filled by a majority of a group of \"most distinguished persons\": the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Chancellor of the university, the Bishop of London, the Secretary of State, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, the Chief Justice of the King's Bench, the Chief Baron of the Exchequer and the Dean of the Court of Arches. The Vice-Chancellor of the university was to inform the electors of any vacancy, and could be summoned to advise them. The appointment could either be made straight away, or delayed for some months to see whether \"any eminent mathematician can be allured\" from abroad.\n\nAs part of reforms of the university in the 19th century, the University of Oxford commissioners laid down new statutes for the chair in 1881, replacing Savile's original instructions and requirements. The 1881 statute provided that the professor was to \"lecture and give instruction in theoretical and practical Astronomy\", and was to be a Fellow of New College. The electors for the professorship were to be the Warden of New College (or a person nominated by the college in his place), the Chancellor of the university, the President of the Royal Society, the Astronomer Royal, the Radcliffe Observer, a person nominated by the university council and one other nominated by New College. Changes to the university's internal legislation in the 20th and early 21st centuries abolished specific statutes for the duties of, and rules for appointment to, individual chairs such as the Savilian professorships. The University Council is now empowered to make appropriate arrangements for appointments and conditions of service, with the college to which any professorship is allocated (New College in the case of the Savilian chairs) to have two representatives on the board of electors. The professorship is one of two permanent chairs attached to Oxford's Sub-Department of Astrophysics.\n\nProfessors' houses\nTwo official residences have been provided for the astronomy professor. The first was in New College Lane, in central Oxford. John Wallis (geometry professor 1649–1703) rented a house there from New College from 1672 until his death in 1703; at some point, it was divided into two houses. Towards the end of his life, David Gregory (astronomy professor 1691–1708) lived in the eastern part of the premises. Wallis's son gave the unexpired portion of the lease to the university in 1704 in honour of his father's long tenure of the geometry chair, to provide official residences for the two Savilian professors. New College renewed the lease at a low rent from 1716 and thereafter at intervals until the last renewal in 1814. Records of who lived in each house are not available throughout the period, but surviving documentation shows that the professors often sub-let the houses and that for about 20 years in the early 18th century the premises were being used as a lodging house.\n\nThe second official residence was built during the time of Thomas Hornsby (astronomy professor 1763–1810), who proposed that an observatory should be built at a site to the north of the city centre. In 1772, construction began of the Radcliffe Observatory and of an adjoining house for the astronomy professor, to which Hornsby moved. Thereafter the university sub-let his former residence. Both of his successors, Abraham Robertson (1810–27) and Stephen Rigaud (1827–39), were the geometry professor at their appointment to the astronomy chair, and in turn they moved from New College Lane to the Radcliffe Observatory. The university then sub-let the astronomy professor's house. The link between the professorship and the observatory was broken in 1839 with the appointment of George Johnson; he had little practical astronomical experience and the officers in charge of the observatory appointed Manuel Johnson as Radcliffe Observer instead. In the early 19th century, New College decided that it wished to use the properties for itself and the lease expired without renewal in 1854. Charles Pritchard (1870–93) had a new observatory built in the University Parks, but his attempts to persuade the university to add a residence for the Savilian professor were unsuccessful.\n\nList of professors\n\nSee also\nList of professorships at the University of Oxford\n\nNotes\n\nReferences\n\n1619 establishments in England\nProfessorships at the University of Oxford\nProfessorships in astronomy\nHistory of astronomy\nLists of scientists by membership\nLists of people associated with the University of Oxford"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.",
"Were his professors impressed?",
"Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford"
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | What did the letter say? | 5 | What did the letter from Hesseltine say? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
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21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
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American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
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Former Presbyterians
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Glider pilots
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Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from New York City
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New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
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American environmentalists | true | [
"What a Terrible Thing to Say is the second full-length album from the post-hardcore band Four Letter Lie.\n\nProduction\nSessions for What a Terrible Thing to Say were held at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Matt Goldman served as producer, alongside handling recording and mixing. Alan Douches mastered the album at West West Side.\n\nRelease\nWhat a Terrible Thing to Say was released on February 19, 2008, through Victory Records. In February and March 2008, the band went on a US tour alongside Silverstein, the Devil Wears Prada, Protest the Hero and A Day to Remember. In October and November, the band supported Pierce the Veil on their headlining US tour. In December, the band went on an east coast tour with This Is Hell, Evergreen Terrace and Casey Jones. Videos have been released for \"Cake Eater\" and \"Nothing But a Ghost\". The album is the group's last record with Kevin Skaff and Derek Smith.\n\nTrack listing\nAll songs written by Kevin Skaff and Derek Smith, all music arranged by Four Letter Lie, all lyrics written by Brian Nagan and Skaff.\n\nPersonnel\nPersonnel per booklet.\n\nFour Letter Lie\n Brian Nagan – vocals\n Kevin Skaff – guitar, vocals\n John Waltmann – bass\n Connor Kelly – guitar\n Derek Smith – drums, percussion, additional programming (track 10)\n\nAdditional musicians\n Matt Goldman – additional percussion, keyboards, programming\n Jeremy Griffith – programming (track 1)\n\nProduction and design\n Matt Goldman – producer, recording, mixing\n Alan Douches – mastering\n Doublej – art direction, layout\n Tony Maldonado – illustrations\n Matt Wysocki – band photography\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\nOfficial Website\nOfficial MySpace Profile\n\n2008 albums\nFour Letter Lie albums\nAlbums produced by Matt Goldman",
"Amarna letter EA 38, titled A Brotherly Quarrel, is a letter from the King of Alashiya (modern Cyprus). One identifier of many of the Amarna letters, is the use of paragraphing. Six paragraphs are in this letter, with much of the letter's reverse – uninscribed.\n\nThe Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.\n\nThe letter\n\nEA 38: A Brotherly Quarrel\nEA 38, letter number five of seven, from Alashiya. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation.)\n\nObverse\n\n(Lines 1-6)–Say to the king of Egypt-(Mizri), my brother: Message of the king of Alashiya, your brother. For me all goes well, and for you may all go well. For your household, your chief wives,1 your sons, your horses, your chariots, among your numerous troops, in your country, among your magnates, may all go very well.\n\n(7-12)–Why, my brother, do you say such a thing to me, \"Does my brother not know this?\" As far as I am concerned, I have done nothing of the sort. Indeed,2 men of Lukki, year by year, seize villages in my own country.\n\n(13-18)–My brother, you say to me, \"Men from your country were with them.\" My brother, I myself do not know that they were with them. If men from my country were (with them), send (them back) and I will act as I see fit.\n\n(19-22)–You yourself do not know men from my country. They would not do such a thing.3 But if men from my country did do this, then you yourself do as you see fit.\n\n(23-26)–Now, my brother, since you have not sent back my messenger, for this tablet it is the king's brother (as messenger). L[et] him write. Your messengers must tell me what I am to do.4\n\nbottom\n(26)–\"to do\"4\nReverse\n\n(lines: 27-30)–Furthermore, which ancestors of yours did such a thin{g} to my ancestors: So no, my brother, do not be concerned. –(complete EA 38, with virtually no lacunae, lines 1-30)\n\nSee also\nAmarna letters–phrases and quotations\nList of Amarna letters by size\nAmarna letter EA 5, EA 9, EA 15, EA 19, EA 26, EA 27, EA 35, EA 38 \nEA 153, EA 161, EA 288, EA 364, EA 365, EA 367\n\nExternal links\nLine drawing of EA 38, Obverse & Reverse\nLine Drawing, cuneiform, and Akkadian, EA 205: Obverse & Reverse, CDLI no. P271039 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)\nCDLI listing of all EA Amarna letters, 1-382\n\nReferences\n\nMoran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, )\n\nAmarna letter EA 00038\nAlashiya (Cypress) Amarna letters\nKingdoms (Great Kings), countries, & regions Amarna letters"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.",
"Were his professors impressed?",
"Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford",
"What did the letter say?",
"Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him."
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | Did Reeve drop out of Cornell? | 6 | Did Reeve drop out of Cornell? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from New York City
New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees
New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
People from Princeton, New Jersey
People with tetraplegia
Princeton Day School alumni
Critics of Scientology
Wheelchair users
Winthrop family
Woolsey family
American environmentalists | false | [
"Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.\n\nBorn in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.\n\nOn May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.\n\nBeginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.\n\nEarly life and education\nReeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.\n\nFranklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.\n\nReeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's \"love for his children always seemed tied to performance\" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.\n\nReeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.\n\nCornell\nAfter graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.\n\nLate in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.\n\nReeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.\n\nBefore his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.\n\nJuilliard\nAfter returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.\n\nIn 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.\n\nIn a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, \"Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else.\" Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.\n\nIn early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.\n\nCareer\n\nEarly career\nIn late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, \"This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat.\" The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.\n\nReeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, \"You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age.\" He replied, \"I can't wait long.\" Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, \"She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her.\" Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.\n\nReeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.\n\nSuperman\n\nDuring My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, \"By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image.\" He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, \"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part.\"\n\nPortraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his \"thin\" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.\n\nReeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, \"there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character.\"\n\nOn the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was \"always, always playing Superman\" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was \"playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent.\" Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.\n\nThe film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, \"There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive.\"\n\nThe film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:\n \"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence.\" – Newsweek\n \"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae.\" – Starlog\n\nFor his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as \"the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension.\" His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve \"knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role.\"\n\nReeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.\n\nSequels\nMuch of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.\n\nLester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.\n\nSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, \"the less said about Superman IV the better.\" Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.\n\nReeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.\n\nIn 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. \"There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day.\"\n\n1980–1986\n\nReeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.\n\nAfter the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.\n\nHowever, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.\n\nIn that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed \"East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)\" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.\n\nAfter finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.\n\nIn 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play \"a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously\". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said \"the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable\".\n\nReeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it \"the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen.\" Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was \"absolutely marvelous\" and \"captivating\" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, \"Oh, that's a terrible mistake.\"\n\nReeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.\n\nIn 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.\n\nIn 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.\n\nIn 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.\n\n1987–1989\nAfter the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.\n\nIn the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.\n\n1990–1994\nIn 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.\n\nIn 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas. \n\nIn the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.\n\nIn the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.\n\nShortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.\n\nIn 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.\n\n1995–2004\nIn 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for \"Outstanding Informational Special\". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.\n\nIn 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including \"Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special\". Dana Reeve said, \"There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work.\" In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.\n\nOn April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.\n\nOn February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode \"Rosetta\". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. \"Rosetta\" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode \"Legacy\", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.\n\nIn April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.\n\nRoles turned down by Reeve\nFollowing the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, \"I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique.\" In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.\n\nPersonal life\n\nRelationships\nWhile filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.\n\nIn June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said \"I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me.\" They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.\n\nEquestrianism and injury\nReeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.\n\nReeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed \"Buck\" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.\n\nOn May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.\n\nHospitalization\nAfter five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.\n\nReeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to \"slip away\". He mouthed to his wife Dana, \"Maybe we should let me go.\" She tearfully replied, \"I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you.\" In what she would later describe as a \"sales ploy\", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.\n\nAfter this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.\n\nReeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 \"was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent.\" The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: \"For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay.\" In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.\n\nDr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.\n\nRehabilitation\nAfter a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.\n\nFor the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.\n\nReeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.\n\nLife with paralysis\nIn December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was \"glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living.\" Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.\n\nIn the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.\n\nReligious views\nFor most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.\n\nReeve described his wedding in 1992 as his \"first act of faith\". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. \"I wondered what was wrong with me\", he later wrote. \"I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God.\"\n\nIn his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.\n\nActivism\nIn the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.\n\nIn late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, \"Where will you take him, Superman?\" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.\n\nIn 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, \"Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?\"\n\nIn 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, \"Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else.\"\n\nDisability activism\n\nReeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.\n\nReeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime \"cap\" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.\n\nReeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, \"in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since\".\n\nReeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.\n\nReeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this \"a step in the right direction\", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.\n\nIn 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.\n\nIn July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience \"a privilege\" and said, \"Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure.\" Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.\n\nHealth challenges and death\nReeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.\n\nMore than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, \"I'm sorry, but I have to go now\", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, \"and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume.\" After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.\n\nIn 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.\n\nIn early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.\n\nFuneral\nHis body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.\n\nTributes\nAmong those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.\n\nLegacy\nReeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.\n\nReeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.\n\nGoogle Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.\n\nFilmography\n Christopher Reeve filmography\n\nSee also\n Superman curse\n\nReferences\n\nBibliography\n Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002. \n Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.\n\nExternal links\n \n \n \n \n \"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies\". New York Times. October 11, 2004\n Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation\n Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve\n Christopher Reeve reads from \"Discover Yourself\" and \"The Secret Path\"\n Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image\n\n1952 births\n2004 deaths\n20th-century American male actors\n20th-century Unitarians\n21st-century American male actors\n21st-century Unitarians\nAmerican male equestrians\nAmerican male film actors\nAmerican male soap opera actors\nAmerican male stage actors\nAmerican people of English descent\nAmerican people of French descent\nAmerican people with disabilities\nAmerican Unitarian Universalists\nAudiobook narrators\nBAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners\nCornell University alumni\nDeaths from sepsis\nEmmy Award winners\nFormer Presbyterians\nGrammy Award winners\nGlider pilots\nHorse-related accidents and incidents\nInfectious disease deaths in New York (state)\nJuilliard School alumni\nMale actors from New York City\nNew Jersey Hall of Fame inductees\nNew York (state) Democrats\nOutstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners\nPeople from Pound Ridge, New York\nPeople from Princeton, New Jersey\nPeople with tetraplegia\nPrinceton Day School alumni\nCritics of Scientology\nWheelchair users\nWinthrop family\nWoolsey family\nAmerican environmentalists",
"Christopher Stanley Reeve (born December 4, 1953) is a South African-American knife maker, recognized as one of the most influential people in knife making history. Reeve founded Chris Reeve Knives (CRK) in 1984. In 2014, Reeve retired and was inducted into the Blade Magazine Hall of Fame in 2015.\n\nBackground\n\nChristopher Stanley Reeve was born on December 4, 1953, in Durban, South Africa. His original vocation was that of tool and die making. Reeve trained at the Pineware Manufacturing Company, serving a four-year tool- and die-making apprenticeship that finished in 1978. Reeve credits his experience in tool and die for developing his grinding skills and giving him the manufacturing and materials knowledge he needed to jumpstart him in professional knife making.\n\nAs a young man, Reeve’s spare time was largely spent engaged in motorcycle racing. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was a regular competitor in South Africa’s Grand Prix motorcycle racing circuit. Unlike many of his competitors, Reeve did not have corporate funding. As a result, Reeve used the highly competitive race setting to hone his problem-solving skills, custom tuning his motorcycle with components often designed and fabricated in his own shop.\n\nIn 1987, Chris married Anne Cameron in Johannesburg, South Africa. In order to pursue improved business opportunities, Chris and Anne moved to the United States in 1989, and settled in Boise, Idaho. In 2003, Chris and Anne were granted US citizenship.\n\nEarly knifemaking\n\nReeve began his knife-making career by chance. Before being called up for a 3-month compulsory military service period in 1975 on the Mozambique / South African border, he noted that the standard army kit did not include a good all-purpose knife. As a result, Reeve decided to design and make one.\n\nA subsequent three-month military service period in 1978 was spent on the Angola/ Namibia border. Reeve had previously designed and made for himself a hidden tang knife with a wooden handle, inlaid with silver wire. The climate in Durban where the knife was made is hot and humid, while the Angola/ Namibia area is semi-desert. After a few days in the dry air, the wooden handle had dried and large cracks appeared. This set Reeve thinking about a knife that could be used across all climates without such damage. The idea of an all-steel knife, with both handle and blade made from a single solid bar, started to germinate. Reeve’s resulting one piece knife concept was first produced as a custom knife in 1982. The one piece concept hit production as the 7 inch bladed MK IV, with 40 pieces becoming available for sale early in 1983. Chris stopped tool making and became a full-time knifemaker in January 1984.\n\nCustom knifemaking\nEarly in Reeve’s career, he engaged in making custom knives. Today, Reeve still makes custom knives as time allows. These custom pieces are of his own design, although sometimes there is a cultural influence – often European or Japanese. Reeve’s custom knives include folding knives with uncommon locking mechanisms, daggers and other fixed blade knives of unique styling, and table cutlery. Reeve uses exotic materials, frequently inlaying gold, pearl or unusual types of wood into titanium or wooden handles to create an interesting contrast of color and texture. He learned much of his knowledge of wood from his father who, as a young man, collected stumps and root sections.\n\nSignificant inventions/developments\nOne Piece concept – The concept of a fixed blade, hollow handled knife, with both the handle and blade milled from a single billet of steel.\n\nLock 45 – A folding knife lock, formed by a lock bar with recesses containing 45 degree angles mating with the rear of the blade. The lock bar / blade interface serves as both the blade stop and the lock mechanism.\n\nHelix Lock – A modification of the Opinel folding knife ferrel lock, which enables one-handed opening and closing.\n \nIntegral Lock – A folding knife lock, introduced with and popularized by the Sebenza folding knife, where one of the handle slabs is slotted to form a lock bar, which falls into place behind the blade to stop the blade from closing.\n\nCPM S35VN – A stainless steel using the powder metallurgy process. Reeve worked with the Crucible Steel Company to develop this steel specifically for the cutlery industry.\n\nKubuli serrations – Serrations placed in a knife blade, alternating from both left and right sides of the blade, forming two rows of serrations that are not collinear. As a result, Kubuli serrations move the material to be cut from side to side as the cut is being made.\n\nPerforated thrust washers – Initially brought to market by the Umnumzaan folding knife in 2008, Reeve's design of perforated washers reduce pivot friction, and serve to retain lubricant. After their successful employment in the Umnumzaan, perforated thrust washers were incorporated into the design of the Sebenza.\n\nCeramic ball integrated into integral lock bar – Also introduced as a feature in the Umnumzaan, the ceramic ball embedded into the end of the lock bar, creating the interface between the blade locking surface and the integral locking arm surface. The ball doubles to drop into a mating detent on the blade to ensure that the blade does not open accidentally.\n\nAwards\n South African National Knife Collectors Association: Best Fixed Blade Collection - 1983\n South African National Knife Collectors Association: Best Collection Displayed - 1984 \n Durban Easter Custom Cutlery Exhibition: Best Fixed Blade - April, 1987 \n Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa: Best Folding Knife - November, 1987 \n Shotgun News Gun and Knife Show, Reno, NV: Best Combat Knife - July, 1988 \n Arizona Knife Collectors Association: Best Custom Folder - December, 1989 \n Beretta Award for Outstanding Achievement in Handcrafted Cutlery: October, 1990 \n Knife-Aholics Unanimous Award: Knife Maker Extraordinaire - July, 1992 \n Knifemakers Guild: \"Most Innovative Folder at the Show\"—July 1993\n Blade magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame at the 2015 Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia.\n\nReferences\n\nPeople from Durban\nPeople from Boise, Idaho\n1953 births\nWeapon designers\nKnife makers\nAmerican businesspeople\nAmerican inventors\nLiving people"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.",
"Were his professors impressed?",
"Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford",
"What did the letter say?",
"Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him.",
"Did Reeve drop out of Cornell?",
"The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents"
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | What was the first thing he was cast in? | 7 | What was the first thing Reeve was cast in? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
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American environmentalists | true | [
"Jed was a Pacific Northwestern American animal actor, known for his roles in the movies: White Fang (1991), White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994), The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), and The Thing (1982). He was born in 1977 and died in June 1995. He was a Vancouver Island wolf-Alaskan Malamute hybrid.\n\nJed was born at Whatcom Humane Society in Bellingham, Washington where Gerhardt \"Gary\" Winkler (Henry Winkler's second cousin) adopted him as part of his collection of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. His first role was a brief one as a Norwegian dog in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). The character he played in the film was the first form to be taken by a shapeshifting alien creature; some scenes required him to behave in an unsettling and unnatural way. Jed's performance in The Thing has been lauded by the many fans of the movie. His next film appearance would be in Disney's The Journey of Natty Gann. In 1991, Jed starred as Jack London's titular character White Fang in the Walt Disney film of the same name, starring a young Ethan Hawke.\n\nJed was trained by Clint Rowe, who was involved in the films that Jed was cast in and was also associated with the film Turner and Hooch. After filming Disney's sequel to \"White Fang\", Jed permanently remained in the \"Jungle Exotics\" animal sanctuary in San Bernardino, California until his death in June 1995. His ashes were sprinkled within Jean M. Simpson's Wild Bunch Ranch in Driggs, Idaho.\n\nFilmography\nThe Thing (1982)\nThe Journey of Natty Gann (1985)\nWhite Fang (1991)\nWhite Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)\n\nReferences\n\nExternal link\n \n\n1977 animal births\n1995 animal deaths\nDog actors\nIndividual wolves",
"What Is the Fastest Thing in the World? is a Greek fairy tale collected by Georgios A. Megas in Folktales of Greece.\n\nIt is Aarne-Thompson type 875 and has many Greek and Slavic variants, generally revolving about the exchange of clever answers. This type of tale is the commonest European tale dealing with witty exchanges. In ballad form, the clever answers to the riddles, and the winning of a husband by them, are found in Child ballad 1, Riddles Wisely Expounded.\n\nSynopsis\nTwo brothers argued over how they should split their land, some of which was good and some bad. The king sent riddles to them: whoever guessed the riddles would get good land. The first riddle was what was the fastest thing in the world. The stupid brother's daughter told him what to say; his brother guessed a bird or a horse, and the stupid brother said the mind. The second riddle was what was the heaviest thing in the world; the clever brother guessed stone or iron, and the stupid brother repeated his daughter's answer: fire because no one could lift it. The third was what was the most important thing in the world; the clever brother guessed bread or money, and the stupid brother repeated his daughter's answer: ground, because they needed it to stand on.\n\nThe king gave the stupid brother the land and asked how he got the answers. He confessed it was his daughter. The king married the daughter, on the condition that she never meddled in his affairs; if she did, she would have to return home, although he would give her one thing, whatever she valued most in the castle.\n\nOne day, the queen saw a man steal a packsaddle and quarrel with the rightful owner. She called out which was the rightful owner, and the king said she had meddled and must go home. She asked him to eat one last meal with her, and then she drugged it. When he was asleep, she put him in the carriage and went home. When the king woke, she told him she was entitled to him, because she valued him most of everything in the castle. The king took her back to the castle and gave her the right to judge all his affairs.\n\nSee also\nThe Peasant's Wise Daughter\nThe Wise Little Girl\n\nReferences\n\nGreek fairy tales\nFictional queens\nFictional kings"
]
|
[
"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.",
"Were his professors impressed?",
"Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford",
"What did the letter say?",
"Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him.",
"Did Reeve drop out of Cornell?",
"The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents",
"What was the first thing he was cast in?",
"That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker."
]
| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | Was it successful? | 8 | Was Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker successful? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
Infectious disease deaths in New York (state)
Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from New York City
New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees
New York (state) Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
People from Princeton, New Jersey
People with tetraplegia
Princeton Day School alumni
Critics of Scientology
Wheelchair users
Winthrop family
Woolsey family
American environmentalists | false | [
"Merry Legs (1911-1932) was a Tennessee Walking Horse mare who was given foundation registration for her influence as a broodmare. She was also a successful show horse.\n\nLife\nMerry Legs was foaled in April 1911. She was a bay with sabino markings. She was sired by the foundation stallion Black Allan F-1, out of the American Saddlebred mare Nell Dement, registration number F-3, and bred by the early breeder Albert Dement. She was a large mare at maturity, standing high and weighing . Merry Legs was a successful show horse; as a three-year-old, she won the stake class at the Tennessee State Fair. She was also successful as a broodmare, giving birth to 13 foals, among them the well-known Bud Allen, Last Chance, Major Allen, and Merry Boy. For her influence on the breed, she was given the foundation number F-4 when the TWHBEA was formed in 1935. She died in 1932.\n\nReferences\n\nIndividual Tennessee Walking Horses\n1911 animal births\n1932 animal deaths",
"The UCI Road World Championships – Men's team time trial was a world championship for road bicycle racing in the discipline of team time trial (TTT). It is organized by the world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).\n\nNational teams (1962–1994)\nA championship for national teams was introduced in 1962 and held until 1994. It was held annually, except that from 1972 onward, the TTT was not held in Olympic years. There were 4 riders per team on a route around 100 kilometres long. Italy is the most successful nation with seven victories.\n\nMedal winners\n\nMedals by nation\n\nMost successful riders\n\nUCI teams (2012–2018)\nThere was a long break until a championship for trade teams was introduced in 2012. There were 6 riders per team. The championship was held up to 2018.\n\nMedal winners\n\nMost successful teams\n\nMost successful riders\n\nReferences \n \n \n\n \nMen's Team Time Trial\nRecurring sporting events established in 1962\nUCI World Tour races\nMen's road bicycle races\nLists of UCI Road World Championships medalists\nRecurring sporting events disestablished in 2018"
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"Christopher Reeve",
"Cornell",
"When did he go to cornell?",
"After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970,",
"What did he study?",
"Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell",
"Was he successful?",
"played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.",
"Were his professors impressed?",
"Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford",
"What did the letter say?",
"Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him.",
"Did Reeve drop out of Cornell?",
"The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents",
"What was the first thing he was cast in?",
"That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker.",
"Was it successful?",
"I don't know."
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| C_c5cfb317c3c2416b80f5c144092d28e7_0 | Did he juggle school and work well? | 9 | Did Reeve juggle school and work well? | Christopher Reeve | After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, and Princeton. Reeve claimed that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor, despite the fact that Princeton and Columbia are considerably closer to the city than Cornell, with Columbia being in New York City, just a few miles uptown from the theater district. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. CANNOTANSWER | Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. | Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, and activist, best known for playing the titular main character in the film Superman (1978) and its first three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and the theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School and made his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in Superman and Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. From his wheelchair, Reeve returned to creative work, directing In the Gloaming (1997) and acting in the television remake of Rear Window (1998). He also made several appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville, and wrote two autobiographical books, Still Me and Nothing is Impossible. Over the course of his career, Reeve received a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. Reeve died on October 10, 2004, 15 days after his 52nd birthday.
Early life and education
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, the son of Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist; and Franklin D'Olier Reeve (1928–2013), a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar. Many of his ancestors had been in America since the early 17th century, some having been aboard the Mayflower. Other ancestors of Reeve came from the French aristocracy. His paternal grandfather, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial (when it was called Prudential Life Insurance Company) for over 25 years.
Franklin and Barbara divorced in 1956, and she moved with Christopher and his younger brother to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School and then Princeton Country Day School, which later merged with Miss Fine's School for Girls to become the co-educational Princeton Day School. Reeve's parents both remarried. Reeve excelled academically, athletically, and onstage; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. The sportsmanship award at Princeton Day School's invitational hockey tournament was named in Reeve's honor.
Reeve had a difficult relationship with his father, Franklin. He wrote in 1998 that his father's "love for his children always seemed tied to performance" and that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. Between 1988 and 1995 the two barely spoke to each other, but they reconciled after Reeve's paralyzing accident.
Reeve found his passion for acting in 1962 at age nine when he was cast in an amateur version of the operetta The Yeomen of the Guard; it was the first of many student plays. His interest was solidified when at age fifteen, he spent a summer as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Cornell
After graduating from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine. He planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Ultimately, however, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Reeve said that he chose Cornell primarily because it was distant from New York City and this would help him avoid the temptation of working as an actor immediately versus finishing college, as he had promised his mother and stepfather. Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale.
Late in his freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered New York City agent who had discovered Robert Redford and who represented actors such as Richard Chamberlain, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. Reeve was very excited and kept re-reading the letter to make sure of what it said. Reeve was impatient with school and anxious to get on with his career. The two met, but Reeve was surprised to find that Hesseltine strongly supported his promise to his mother and stepfather to complete college. They decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve would come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation.
Reeve received favorable responses to his introductions and auditions arranged by Hesseltine but had to forego several desirable opportunities because they began before school ended. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. The next year, Reeve received a full summer contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre.
Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom. The actors inspired him, and he often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay: he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. He watched many performances and immersed himself in the culture before finally returning to New York to reunite with his girlfriend.
Juilliard
After returning to the US from Europe, Reeve chose to focus solely on acting, although Cornell had several general education requirements for graduation that he had yet to complete. He managed to convince theater director Jim Clause and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more at Juilliard (Group 4, 1973–1975) in New York City than at Cornell. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell.
In 1973, approximately 2,000 students auditioned for 20 places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of 10 faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's Advanced Program. They had several classes together in which they were the only students. In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship.
In a meeting with Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else." Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among performers such as Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, and David Ogden Stiers. Reeve declined, as he had not yet received his bachelor's degree.
In early 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City junior high school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Early career
In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter of Gravity. Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and hence suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The understudy finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews.
Reeve and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait long." Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor ... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.
Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a very small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston. He then acted in the play My Life at the Circle Repertory Company with friend William Hurt.
Superman
During My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman (1978). Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind, and Reeve was arranged. The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Reeve flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed ... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing Up Baby. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."
Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen that former British weightlifting champion David Prowse supervised. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and 90 minutes on the trampoline. He added of muscle to his "thin" frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for Superman IV was an emergency appendectomy he had in June 1986.
Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."
On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was "always, always playing Superman" and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.
The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first that attempted to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on that he, being a glider pilot, could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."
The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
"Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence." – Newsweek
"Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae." – Starlog
For his performance, Reeve won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension." His co-star Margot Kidder said after his death that with the Superman films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."
Reeve used his celebrity status for several philanthropic causes. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally ill children. He joined the board of directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. In 1979, he served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics alongside O. J. Simpson.
Sequels
Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and they mutually agreed to part ways. Director Richard Lester, who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite of the series. Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.
Lester directed Superman III, released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed that producers Alexander Salkind, his son Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler decreased the credibility of Superman III by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy, hence making it a not very good film. He missed Donner and believed that Superman III only really good element was the automobile junkyard scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle. Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for Superman III, however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was released in 1987. After Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Cannon Films purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind, the original producers of the film series, in the mid-1980s. Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly-acted, poorly-scripted action films. They cut the budget of Superman IV in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a box-office disappointment, becoming the lowest-grossing Superman film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better." Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in Smallville.
Reeve would have made a fifth Superman film after the rights to the character reverted to Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler if the film had a budget the same size as that of Superman: The Movie. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received any script.
In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to Warner Bros. "There was supposed to be a fifth Superman movie titled Superman Reborn, but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [Superman IV] got, and ... Reeves's accident, it never saw the light of day."
1980–1986
Reeve's first role after 1978's Superman was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Reeve as Richard Collier romanced actress Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by Jane Seymour. The film was shot on Mackinac Island using the Grand Hotel in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.
After the film was completed, the plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an actors' strike prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although Jean-Pierre Dorléac was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1980. The film, commercially unsuccessful, was Reeve's first public disappointment.
However, almost ten years after Somewhere in Time was released, at a time when other period films were beginning to be made, it became a cult film favorite, thanks to screenings on cable networks and video rentals; its popularity began to grow, vindicating the belief of the creative team. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, did fundraising to sponsor a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for Reeve. Jane Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1996 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor. The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.
In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show, where he performed "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" on a piano for Miss Piggy, who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of Superman II.
After finishing Superman II, Reeve and his family left London and rented a house in the Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in Lanford Wilson's play Fifth of July on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs.
In 1982 Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his lover and mentor Michael Caine, in Sidney Lumet's suspenseful dark comedy film Deathtrap, based on the play by Ira Levin. The film was well received. The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during World War II in Monsignor. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously". Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable".
Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role of which he could be proud. The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen." Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her that he was currently shooting the 1985 version of Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."
Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve performed all his own stunts.
In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in a modern adaptation of the play The Marriage of Figaro.
In 1985, Reeve hosted the television documentary Dinosaur! Fascinated with dinosaurs since he was a child, as he says in the documentary, he flew himself to New York in his own plane to shoot on location at the American Museum of Natural History. Also, in 1985, DC Comics named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Superman film series.
In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had Cannon Films green-light it. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.
1987–1989
After the filming of Superman IV in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event The Grand Knockout Tournament. In a depression without his children, aged seven and three, he decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Reeve later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and that most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. The film did poorly, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He auditioned for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts.
In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active. He was taking horse-riding lessons and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia.
1990–1994
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film The Rose and the Jackal, in which he played Allan Pinkerton, the head of President Lincoln's new Secret Service. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
In 1992, Reeve played a lead role in the movie comedy Noises Off, in which he played a character named Frederick Dallas.
In the early 1990s, Reeve was in three roles for television in which he was cast as a villain. The most notable of these was Bump in the Night, in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy in New York City. The movie received fair to positive reviews. Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film. In another television movie, Mortal Sins (1992), Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of that of Montgomery Clift in Hitchcock's I Confess.
In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from his children, who lived in London. In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them at any time. He declined the offers. Reeve did not object to all long-distance journeys; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless, co-starring Michael Keaton. Reeve then went to Point Reyes to shoot John Carpenter's film Village of the Damned, a remake of a 1960 British movie of the same name. Both of the films with this title were based on the 1957 novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO movie Above Suspicion. He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars.
In 1995, Reeve was offered the lead in Kidnapped. He also planned to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Both plans were cancelled as a result of the horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.
1995–2004
In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. The film won the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Informational Special". He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow.
In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Robert Sean Leonard, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda, and David Strathairn. The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special". Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work." In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. In 2000, he made guest appearances on the long-running PBS series Sesame Street.
On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann in the episode "Rosetta". In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's Superman: The Movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. The fan community met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day. Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luthor in the show.
In April 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing Is Impossible. This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them. Also, in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Reeve during this time was directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in The Brooke Ellison Story.
Roles turned down by Reeve
Following the first Superman movie, Reeve realized that Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, Romancing the Stone, Lethal Weapon, and Body Heat. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty, a film version of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with Mel Gibson. After his 1995 accident, Reeve turned down the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal, which was eventually played by Gary Oldman.
Personal life
Relationships
While filming the first two Superman movies in England, Reeve began a ten-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. They had a son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979, and a daughter, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983. Both were born in London, England. In February 1987, Reeve and Gae Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and often spent their holidays with Reeve.
In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife Dana Morosini, a singer and actress. By 1991, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992, and their son William was born on June 7 that year. The couple remained happily married until Reeve's death.
Equestrianism and injury
Reeve began his involvement in horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. He trained on Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989, he began eventing. His allergies soon disappeared. He had suffered leg injuries as a teen while skiing, and he later broke three ribs in a riding accident he described, along with the leg injuries, on The Tonight Show in March 1987.
Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck" while filming Village of the Damned. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'.
On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a refusal. Witnesses said that the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the reins. His hands became tangled in the reins, and the bridle and bit were pulled off the horse. He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his first and second vertebrae. This caused cervical spinal injury, which paralyzed him from the neck down, and also halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He had no recollection of the accident.
Hospitalization
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and delirious, he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him that his first and second cervical vertebrae had been destroyed and his spinal cord damaged. He was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe without a ventilator. However, he had not sustained any brain damage.
Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was that he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and that it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years, they would find some way for him to do so.
After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and to treatment for pneumonia. He never considered suicide as an option again.
Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. His approaching operation to reattach his skull to his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate. ... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery. ... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent." The man announced that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. It was Robin Williams, reprising his character from the film Nine Months. Reeve wrote: "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay." In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all of the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.
Dr. John A. Jane performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck vertebrae. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the spinal column.
Rehabilitation
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent five months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his electric sip-and-puff wheelchair by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography Still Me, he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his new disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair, or taking a shower, were initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.
For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a tracheostomy tube, for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent muscle atrophy and osteoporosis. He believed that intense physical therapy could regenerate the nervous system, and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found. Starting in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements in his fingers and other parts of his body, and by 2002 reported that he could sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body. Reeve's doctors were shocked by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen.
Life with paralysis
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in Pound Ridge, New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said that he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living." Reeve continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a team of ten nurses and aides working in his home.
In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock and then grieving with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.
Religious views
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager. In 1975, he briefly explored Scientology but opted out of becoming a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.
Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."
In his 2002 book Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended Unitarian services, starting in his late forties. In the years that followed the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.
Activism
In the 1980s, Reeve campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. As a pilot with the Environmental Air Force he gave government officials and journalists aerial tours over areas of environmental damage.
In late 1987, in Santiago, Chile, the country's dictator, Augusto Pinochet, threatened to execute 77 actors. Ariel Dorfman asked Reeve to help save their lives. Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his contribution to the protest, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received an Obie Award and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award.
In 1989, Reeve's friend Ron Silver started the Creative Coalition, a liberal organization aiming to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. The group's initiatives included environmental issues and defending the National Endowment of the Arts, which was under attack from conservative Republicans who objected to taxpayer-funding of art that they considered offensive. Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition in 1994. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and the Democratic Party asked Reeve to run for the United States Congress. He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?"
In 1996, ten months after the injury that paralyzed him, Reeve appeared at the 68th Academy Awards to a long standing ovation. He used the occasion to encourage Hollywood to make more films on social issues, saying, "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."
Disability activism
Reeve left the Kessler Rehabilitation Center feeling inspiration from the other patients he had met. Because the media was constantly covering him, he decided to use his name to put focus on spinal cord injuries. In 1996, he also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. He traveled across the country to make speeches. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of Time on August 26, 1996.
Reeve's first effort to change disability legislation was in supporting a 1997 bill that would raise the lifetime "cap" on insurance payments from the standard $1 million to $10 million per person. For catastrophically injured people with one insurance policy, the $1 million limit often lasts just a few years. The bill was narrowly defeated. In 1999, he supported the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which allows people to continue to receive disability benefits after they return to work. This bill passed.
Reeve was elected chairman of the American Paralysis Association (now Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and vice chairman of the National Organization on Disability. With Joan Irvine Smith, he co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. In 1999, the American Paralysis Association and another foundation that Reeve had founded were merged into the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which aims to speed up research through funding and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million to research and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants. Of Christopher Reeve, UC Irvine said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since".
Reeve served as a board member for several organizations that aim to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for self-governance to make open-ended scientific inquiry of the research. President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells contaminated most of the old lines.
In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which a world treaty was considering banning. In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71, which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and would allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.
In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in spinal cord injury. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him to seek out the best treatment for his condition. During his visit, Reeve called the experience "a privilege" and said, "Israel has very proactive rehab facilities, excellent medical schools and teaching hospitals, and an absolutely first-rate research infrastructure." Israelis were very receptive to Reeve's visit, calling him an inspiration to all and urging him never to give up hope.
Health challenges and death
Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. At age 16, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Generally, he was able to comb it over and often the problem disappeared for long periods, but he wore a wig for the third and fourth Superman films. The condition became more noticeable after he became paralyzed, so he shaved his head.
More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock, and his heart stopped. He claimed to have had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", during the event. In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling... I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were 15 or 20 people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume." After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and stabilized later that night.
In 2002 and 2004, Reeve survived several serious infections believed to have originated from his bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal.
In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication he had experienced many times before. On October 4, 2004, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the institute's work; it was his last reported public appearance. On October 9, 2004, Reeve attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma, and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died at the age of 52. No official autopsy was performed on the actor. However, both Reeve's wife Dana and his doctor John McDonald believed that an adverse reaction to a drug caused Reeve's death.
Funeral
His body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery, and his ashes were scattered. A memorial service for Reeve was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, which both Reeve and Dana had attended. Another private memorial service held at the Juilliard School three weeks later was attended by more than 900 people, with speakers.
Tributes
Among those who were tribute to Christopher Reeve included the stars (Annette Bening, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Gary Sinise, Joe Mantegna, Tim Robbins, William H. Macy, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Keener, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Laura Linney, Kim Cattrall, Michael Douglas, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Rita Wilson, Sela Ward, Diane Lane, Julia Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and others). Among television host were included Larry King, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and others. Speakers included Reeve’s widow, Dana. Reeve’s children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will, had prepared a 20-minute film about life with their father, and Reeve’s brother, Benjamin, planned to share memories of their childhood.
Legacy
Reeve's widow, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Although a non-smoker, she was diagnosed with lung cancer on August 9, 2005. She died at age 44 on March 6, 2006, and the foundation was subsequently renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Reeve's children Matthew, Alexandra, and William all serve on the board of directors for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, while Will is also a reporter for ABC News. In 2015, Alexandra and her husband welcomed a son, Christopher Russel Reeve Givens.
Google Search showed a Doodle in some countries on September 25, 2021, to celebrate Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday.
Filmography
Christopher Reeve filmography
See also
Superman curse
References
Bibliography
Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2002.
Reeve, Christopher. Still Me, Random House, 1998.
External links
"Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' and Crusader for Stem Cells, Dies". New York Times. October 11, 2004
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
Christopher Reeve reads from "Discover Yourself" and "The Secret Path"
Christopher Reeve Interview at Texas Archive of the Moving Image
1952 births
2004 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Unitarians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Unitarians
American male equestrians
American male film actors
American male soap opera actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people with disabilities
American Unitarian Universalists
Audiobook narrators
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Cornell University alumni
Deaths from sepsis
Emmy Award winners
Former Presbyterians
Grammy Award winners
Glider pilots
Horse-related accidents and incidents
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Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from Pound Ridge, New York
People from Princeton, New Jersey
People with tetraplegia
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American environmentalists | true | [
"In a Flesh Aquarium is the second full-length album by Canadian avant-garde extreme metal band uneXpect. It was released on August 22, 2006 through The End Records. This is the first album to include Landryx as the new drummer and the last album to feature Le Bateleur on violin.\n\nSyriaK wrote all lyrics, except \"Megalomaniac Trees\" by Artagoth and \"The Shiver\" by ChaotH. The lyrics to \"Another Dissonant Chord\" were translated to Hungarian by the Hegyesy family (relatives of Leïlindel); the booklet also includes the English translation.\n\nThe album was re-released in Europe in 2007 by Ascendance Records and distributed worldwide by Plastic Head, with a different album cover and also including the 2003 release wE, Invaders as a bonus CD, which includes a bonus track entitled \"Puppet's Strange Vision\" composed by ExoD.\n\nTrack listing\nIn a Flesh Aquarium\nAll lyrics by SyriaK, all music by UnexpecT (unless otherwise noted).\n\"Chromatic Chimera\" – 5:52\n\"Feasting Fools\" – 6:17\n\"Desert Urbania\" – 7:30\n\"Summoning Scenes\" – 7:47\n\"Silence 011010701\" – 5:14 (music: ExoD)\n\"Megalomaniac Trees\" – 5:57 (lyrics: Artagoth)\n\"The Shiver - Another Dissonant Chord\" – 3:00\n\"The Shiver - Meet Me at the Carrousel\" – 4:08\n\"The Shiver - A Clown's Mindtrap\" – 3:41\n\"Psychic Jugglers\" – 11:10\n\nPersonnel\nLeïlindel – vocals\nSyriaK – vocals, guitar, piano on \"Psychic Juggle\"\nArtagoth – vocals, guitar\nExoD – keyboard, piano, sampling\nLe Bateleur – violin\nChaotH – 7- and 9-stringed bass guitar\nLandryx – drums\n\nGuest musicians\nAmélie Blanchette – clarinet on \"Psychic Juggle\"\nNathalie Duchesne – additional violin and cello on \"Summoning Scenes\", \"The Shiver\", and \"Psychic Juggle\"\nStéphanie Colerette – additional violin and cello on \"Summoning Scenes\", \"The Shiver\", and \"Psychic Juggle\"\nBenjamin Proulx-Mathers – saxophone on \"Megalomaniac Trees\"\n\nProduction\nProduced By UnexpecT\nEngineered, Mixed & Mastered By Serge Cossette\n\nReferences\n\nUnexpect albums\n2006 albums\nThe End Records albums",
"Enrico Rastelli (19 December 1896 – 13 December 1931) was an Italian juggler, acrobat and performer.\n\nBiography\n\nRastelli was born in Samara, Russia into a circus family. Both his parents were performers and it did not take long before the young Rastelli decided to join the family business. He received rigorous training in a variety of circus disciplines including acrobatics, balancing and aerial skills. His performance debut was at the age of 13 as part of his parents' aerial act, however his passion and talent lay with juggling. He practiced his juggling skills tirelessly and by the age of 19 was performing a solo juggling routine. His earliest performances involved the manipulation of sticks and balls in a typical Japanese style; he even wore a Kimono as his costume.\n\nMany jugglers of Rastelli's day were of the gentleman juggler style. Dressed in formal evening attire, they would juggle everyday objects that you might find at the dinner table, including plates, hat and cane, loaves of bread, bottles and even chairs. Rastelli instead chose to restrict himself to objects more suited to throwing and catching, typically plates, sticks and balls. In doing so, he was able to achieve levels of technical skill far beyond that of his contemporaries. Furthermore, his choice of three simple props is reflected in the props of choice of most modern jugglers, with balls, clubs (replacing sticks) and rings (replacing plates) being used by professional and amateur jugglers alike.\n\nIn 1917 Rastelli married Harriet, a highwire artist. By the early 1920s he was becoming quite a star, touring Europe and America, amazing audiences and commanding an ever-increasing salary. In this period he chose to perform in a silk costume adding static balance tricks to his energetic performances. During the later part of the 1920s he made the move from the circus ring to the more lucrative vaudeville theatres. His style changed again, performing in full soccer strip he would juggle up to five footballs. With his growing fortune, Rastelli, his wife and their three children purchased a large villa in Bergamo.\n\nWhile touring Europe in 1931 Rastelli's gums suddenly started bleeding and shortly afterwards he contracted pneumonia. He quickly returned home, however his condition worsened and he died in the early hours of the morning, 13 December 1931, as a result of anemia.\n\nHis funeral took place in Bergamo, attended by thousands. A life-sized statue to Rastelli was erected within his tomb, depicting him in a familiar pose, spinning a ball on his raised finger. Vanity Fair magazine, in its February, 1932 issue, (page 49), ran a full-page photograph of Rastelli with the following caption:\n\nRastelli's contribution to juggling is of great significance. His skill in being able to juggle multiple objects, sometimes while balancing objects on his head or body and his world record number juggling remained unparalleled until recently. He was also a master of 'combination' style tricks, being able to juggle 6 plates, while spinning a hoop around one foot and skipping a rope which was spun by an assistant. His influence is still felt today, with most jugglers restricting themselves to the use of clubs, rings and balls.\n\nSee also\nList of jugglers\n\nSources\n\nExternal links\nVideos of Rastelli\n\nRastelli, Enrico\nRastelli, Enrico\nRastelli, Enrico\nRastelli\nDeaths from anemia\nPeople from Samara, Russia"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release"
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what is release referring to? | 1 | what is Ai Weiwei release referring to? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"A linkback is a method for Web authors to obtain notifications when other authors link to one of their documents. This enables authors to keep track of who is linking to, or referring to, their articles. The four methods (refback, trackback, pingback and webmention) differ in how they accomplish this task.\n\nOverview\n\"Linkback\" is the generalized term used to reference four methods of communication between websites. While sometimes confused with one another, linkbacks and backlinks are not the same type of entity. A backlink is what the person referring to a page creates while a linkback is what the publisher of the page being referred to receives.\n\nAny of the four terms—linkback, trackback, pingback, or (rarely) refback—might also refer colloquially to items within a section upon the linked page that display the received notifications, usually along with a reciprocal link; trackback is used most often for this purpose. Also, the word trackback is often used colloquially to mean any kind of linkback.\n\nSee also\n Backlink\n Page rank\n Search engine optimization\n\nReferences\n\nBlogs\nWordPress",
"George Matthews is the current radio play-by-play announcer for the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL. He was the original radio play-by-play announcer for the Columbus Blue Jackets, a National Hockey League franchise. He held this position since the team's inaugural 2000–01 season through the 2012–2013 season. He hails from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada.\n\nEntering his 37th season of hockey broadcasting, he is known for his passionate broadcast style and also his penchant for rhyme.\n\nHe has stated that he will perform limited broadcasting duties during the 2013–2014 season on the Blue Jackets Radio Network through their flagship station WBNS (FM 97.1).\n\nIn addition to calling play-by-play action, he was also a regular contributor to the \"Between the Pipes\" radio show that airs weekly on WBNS during the hockey season.\n\nCatch phrases\nMatthews' trademark is his ability for improvised rhyme. Some examples:\n\nGeneral\n \"Hey hey, whaddya say?\" - in reference to an exceptional play.\n\nReferring to Skaters\n \"He boot scoots it...\"\n \"What a steal, that's the deal!\"\n \"Jumpin' Jack Flash, Rick Nash!\"\n \"Ka-Ching It's CASH, RICK NAAAAAAASH!\"\n \"Nick! (Nikolai Zherdev) with the flick for the Jackets!\"\n\nMatthews is also known for referring to a goal as \"burying the biscuit\" or \"burying the stash\" (specifically when referring to left winger Rick Nash).\n\nReferring to Goaltenders\n \"Holy Moley, what a goalie!\"\n \"Return to sender! What a 'tender!\"\n \"Jim dandy, Mr. Handy!\"\n \"Goodness Gracious, Leclaire's Sensatious!\"\n \"Norrena is showing to be a whopper of a stopper tonight!\"\n \"Lightning quick with the leather\n\nExternal links\n Matthews to step away from full-time radio duties\nBlue Jackets Radio/TV Personalities\nGeorge Matthews: True Blue\n\nAmerican color commentators\nColumbus Blue Jackets announcers\nLiving people\nPeople from Summerside, Prince Edward Island\nYear of birth missing (living people)"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what evidence did they have? | 2 | what evidence did the Chinese authorities have against Ai Weiwei? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"R. v B. [1997] 2 Cr. App. R. 88, CA was a case in which the undisclosed party (B) was charged with an indecent assault on two of his grandsons.\n\nThe evidence introduced in this case was pornographic magazines that belonged to the accused B. The House of Lords held this evidence to be inadmissible in suggesting that B had committed the assault. The magazines along with other evidence were not enough to convict B as they did not meet the proper criteria for the admissibility of what is known as similar fact evidence.\n\nAs a result, in this case it is shown that evidence which only highlights the accused in question to be of a \"bad disposition\" will be deemed inadmissible. This is because, for evidence to be admissible, it must do more than just merely suggest that the person has the propensity to commit the charged crime.\n\nReferences\n\nHouse of Lords cases\n1997 in case law\n1997 in British law",
"In language acquisition, negative evidence is information concerning what is not possible in a language. Importantly, negative evidence does not show what is grammatical; that is positive evidence. In theory, negative evidence would help eliminate ungrammatical constructions by revealing what is not grammatical. Direct negative evidence refers to comments made by an adult language-user in response to a learner's ungrammatical utterance. Indirect negative evidence refers to the absence of ungrammatical sentences in the language that the child is exposed to. There is debate among linguists and psychologists about whether negative evidence can help children determine the grammar of their language. Negative evidence, if it is used, could help children rule out ungrammatical constructions in their language.\n\nDirect negative evidence \nDirect negative evidence in language acquisition consists of utterances that indicate whether a construction in a language is ungrammatical. Direct negative evidence differs from indirect negative evidence because it is explicitly presented to a language learner (e.g. a child might be corrected by a parent). Direct negative evidence can be further divided into explicit and implicit forms. \n\nOn the other hand, indirect negative evidence is used to determine ungrammatical constructions in a language by noticing the absence of such constructions.\n\nExplicit direct negative evidence \nA corpus study found that explicit negative evidence was \"very rare\", and concluded that because parents do not reliably correct their children's grammatical errors, explicit negative evidence does not facilitate language learning. Psychologist David McNeill argues that when parents correct children explicitly, the correction is unlikely to be helpful in learning grammar because it is a single correction that will most likely not be repeated, and therefore a child might not remember or even notice the correction. This is demonstrated in the following exchange between a parent and child, which McNeill recorded:Child: Nobody don't like me.\nMother: No, say, \"nobody likes me.\"\nChild: Nobody don't like me.\n[This exchange is repeated several times]\nMother: No, now listen carefully. Say, \"Nobody likes me.\"\nChild: Oh! Nobody don't likes me.As this conversation reveals, children are seemingly unable to detect differences between their ungrammatical sentences and the grammatical sentences that their parents produce. Therefore, children typically cannot use explicit negative evidence to learn that an aspect of grammar, such as using double negatives in English, is ungrammatical. This example also shows that children can make incorrect generalizations about which grammatical principle a parent corrects, suggesting that there must be something other than explicit feedback which drives children to arrive at a correct grammar.\n\nImplicit direct negative evidence\n\nIn the input \nImplicit direct negative evidence occurs when a parent responds to a child's ungrammatical utterance in a way that indicates that the utterance was not grammatical. This differs from explicit direct negative evidence because the parent merely implies that the child's utterance is ungrammatical, while explicit direct negative evidence involves a parent unambiguously telling a child that a sentence they produced is ungrammatical. There are several types of implicit direct negative evidence which parents utilize in responses to children's ungrammatical utterances. These forms include: repetitions, recasts, expansions, and requests for clarification. Repetitions occur when a parent repeats a child's utterance word for word, whereas recasts occur when a parent repeats a child's utterance while correcting the ungrammatical part of the sentence. Expansions are similar to recasts because they are potentially corrective utterances, but in expansions a parent also will lengthen the child's original utterance. Requests for clarification occur when a parent asks a question that can prompt a child to fix an ungrammatical sentence they previously said. Generally speaking, there is consensus that implicit direct negative evidence exists in the input, though there is debate about whether children can use implicit direct negative evidence to learn the grammar of their language. It is argued that parents frequently reformulate children's ungrammatical utterances.\n\nUtility\nSome types of implicit direct negative evidence, such as reformulations, occur regularly in the input, thus making them potentially usable forms of evidence for language acquisition. Some studies have demonstrated that parents respond differently when children utter grammatical or ungrammatical utterances, which suggests that children can use this parental feedback to learn grammar. Some evidence also supports the hypothesis that children actually use implicit direct negative evidence in practice (see section below).\n\nThough there have been a number of studies that support the hypothesis that children can use implicit direct negative evidence that exists in the input, there have also been studies which stand in stark contrast to this hypothesis. Linguists who do not believe that implicit direct negative evidence is helpful for a language learner argue that studies supporting the utility of implicit direct negative evidence do not properly specify which types of utterances qualify as recasts. They criticize the fact that some types of implicit direct negative evidence are not necessarily corrective (i.e. parental responses that may qualify as implicit direct negative evidence can occur after either grammatical or ungrammatical utterances). Additionally, some of these linguists question how children would know to only pay attention to certain kinds of recasts and not others.\n\nFurthermore, Gary Marcus argues that implicit direct negative evidence in the input is insufficient for children to learn the correct grammar of their language. He asserts that negative evidence does not explain why sentences are ungrammatical, thus making it difficult for children to learn why these sentences should be excluded from their grammar. He also argues that for children to be able to even use implicit direct negative evidence, they would need to receive negative feedback on a sentence 85 times in order to eliminate it from their vocabulary, but children do not repeat ungrammatical sentences nearly that often. Marcus also purports that implicit evidence is largely unavailable because the feedback differs from parent to parent, and is inconsistent in both the frequency with which it is offered and the kinds of errors it corrects. Other studies demonstrate that implicit negative evidence decreases over time, so that as children get older there is less feedback, making it less available and, consequentially, less likely to account for children's unlearning of grammatical errors.\n\nUsage\nAssuming that implicit direct negative evidence is usable, there are some studies which demonstrate that children do use implicit direct negative evidence to correct their grammatical mistakes. For example, experiments show that children produce a greater number of grammatical sentences when parents provide them with any type of immediate implicit direct negative evidence, including recasts. This evidence supports claims that direct negative evidence assists a child in their language learning. Chouinard also found that children are highly attentive to parental responses and that children respond to implicit correction in predictable ways. Children tend to directly respond to these reformulations by either affirming the reformulation or disagreeing with their parent if the parent misunderstood the child's intended meaning, revealing that children can discern when parental feedback is meant to correct their grammatical errors. Additionally, children have been shown to correct their initial errors when a parent recasts the child's morphological error.\n\nHowever, other researchers have conducted studies that demonstrate that children do not need negative feedback in order to learn language. This is evidenced in a case study in which a mute child was tested to see whether he could comprehend a grammar even though he had received no corrective feedback (since corrective feedback occurs as a response to ungrammatical sentences that children produce). Though the child did not produce any speech and therefore did not receive any negative feedback, researchers found that he was able to learn grammatical rules. Although this study does not answer whether negative evidence can be helpful for learning language, it does suggest that direct negative evidence is not needed to learn grammar. Another study also demonstrates that implicit negative evidence is a negative predictor of the rate at which children eliminated ungrammatical utterances from their speech.\n\nDirect negative evidence in language learning \nThough there is no consensus regarding whether there is sufficient and usable implicit negative evidence in the input, if children are exposed to direct negative evidence, then they could use that evidence to validate hypotheses they have made about their grammar. On the other hand, if there is not sufficient usable negative evidence in the input, then there is a \"no negative evidence\" problem, which questions of how a language learner can learn language without negative evidence. This is a problem because if a child only hears grammatical sentences which are consistent with multiple grammars, then it would be impossible to determine which grammar is correct unless there was some other factor influencing what grammar a child ultimately hypothesizes to be correct.\n\nProponents of linguistic nativism suggest that the answer to the \"no negative evidence\" problem is that language knowledge that cannot be learned is innate. They argue that the language input is not rich enough for children to develop a fully developed grammar from the input alone. This view is referred to as the poverty of the stimulus argument. The central idea of the poverty of the stimulus argument is that children could have multiple hypotheses about aspects of their grammar which are distinguishable only by negative evidence (or by hearing ungrammatical sentences and recognizing those sentences as ungrammatical). Supporters of the poverty of the stimulus argument assert that because the negative evidence that is needed to learn language by the input alone does not exist, children cannot learn certain aspects of grammar from the input alone, and therefore there must be some aspects of grammar which involve innate mechanisms.\n\nIndirect negative evidence in language acquisition \nIndirect negative evidence refers to using what's not in the input to make an inference about what's not possible. For example, when we see a dog bark, we are likely to think that dogs bark, not that every kind of animal barks. This is because we have never seen horses or fish or any other animal bark, so our hypothesis becomes that only dogs bark. We use this same inference to assume that the sun will rise tomorrow, having seen it rise every other day so far. No evidence received indicates that the sun may not rise once every two thousand years, or only rises on years that are not 2086, but since all evidence seen so far is consistent with the universal generalization, we infer that the sun does indeed rise every day. In language acquisition, indirect negative evidence may be used to constrain a child's grammar; if a child never hears a certain construction, the child concludes that it is ungrammatical.\n\nUtility of indirect negative evidence\n\nIndirect negative evidence and word learning\nChild and adult speakers rely on 'suspicious coincidences' when learning a new word meaning. When learning a new word meaning, children and adults use only the first few instances of hearing that word in order to decide what it means, rapidly constricting their hypothesis if only used in a narrow context. In an experiment conducted by Fei Xu and Joshua Tenenbaum, 4-year-old participants learning a novel word 'fep' readily decided that it referred only to Dalmatians if only hearing it while shown pictures of Dalmatians; although they received no information that 'fep' was unable to refer to other kinds of dogs, the suspicious coincidence that they had never heard it in other contexts caused them to restrict their meaning to just one breed.\n\nIndirect negative evidence and syntax \nChild language learners can use this same type of probabilistic inference to decide when and how verbs can be used. A word children hear often, like 'disappear', is more likely to be used than a less common word with a similar meaning, 'vanish'. Children studied said that the ungrammatical sentence \"*We want to disappear our heads\" was ungrammatical, but when given the same sentence with vanish, they were less sure of the grammaticality. Given the frequency of 'disappear' in intransitive clauses, learners could infer that if it were possible in transitive clauses, they would have heard it in those contexts. Thus, the high frequency of the intransitive verb use leads to the inference that the transitive verb use is impossible. This inference is less reliable with a less frequent verb like \"vanish\" because children have not heard enough instantiations of the verb to infer that it is never transitive.\n\nIt has been argued that children use indirect negative evidence to make probabilistic inferences about the syntax of the language they are acquiring. A 2004 study by Regier & Gahl produced a computational model which provides support for this argument. They assert that children can use the absence of particular patterns in the input in order to conclude that such patterns are illicit. According to Regier and Gahl, young language learners form hypotheses about what is and isn't correct based on probabilistic inferences. As children are exposed to more and more examples of a certain phenomenon, their hypothesis space narrows. Notably, Regier and Gahl assert that this ability for probabilistic inference can be used in all sorts of general learning tasks, and not just linguistic ones. Regier and Gahl also present their model as evidence against an argument from the poverty of the stimulus, because their model illustrates that syntactic learning is possible from using the input alone, and does not necessarily require some innate linguistic knowledge of syntax.\n\nHowever, probabilistic inferences based on indirect negative evidence can lead children to make an incorrect hypothesis about their language, which leads to errors in early language production. In his variational model, Charles Yang notes that based on indirect negative evidence, English-acquiring children could conclude that English is a topic-drop language, such as Chinese. A topic-drop language allows the subject and object to be dropped in a sentence as long as they are in topic. English does not allow topic-drop, as evidenced by the insertion of expletive subjects in sentences such as There is rain. Yang notes that in English child-directed speech, children very rarely hear expletive subjects. Yang asserts that this leads English-acquiring children to momentarily conclude that English is a topic-drop language. His assertion is supported by the parallels between the topic-drop errors made by English-acquiring children and the licit topic-drop sentences produced by Chinese-speaking adults.\n\nSome researchers argue that indirect negative evidence is unnecessary for language acquisition. For example, Abend et al. built a Bayesian inference model that mimics a child's acquisition of English, using only data from a single child in the CHILDES corpus. They found that the model successfully learned English word order, mappings between word labels and semantic meanings of words (i.e. word learning), and used surrounding syntax to infer the meaning of novel words. They conclude that the success of this model shows that it is possible for children to acquire language on positive evidence alone, as the model did not make use of what was not in the input.\n\nSee also \n Language acquisition\n Linguistics\n Universal grammar\n\nReferences \n\nLanguage acquisition"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | how was he treated in prison? | 3 | how was Ai Weiwei treated in the chinese prison? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"In July 1972, William Whitelaw, the Conservative British government's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, granted Special Category Status (SCS) to all prisoners serving sentences in Northern Ireland for Troubles-related offences. This had been one of the conditions set by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) when they negotiated a meeting with the government to discuss a truce.\n\nSpecial category (or \"political\") status was de facto prisoner of war (POW) status, providing them with some of the privileges of POWs, such as those specified in the Geneva Conventions. This meant prisoners did not have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work, were housed within their paramilitary factions, and were allowed extra visits and food parcels.\n\nSCS was introduced in 1972 by William Whitelaw while serving as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. That year, Whitelaw explained the status in the House of Commons, while denying that political status had been granted: \n\nIn January 1975 the Gardiner Committee, which looked at how the government should deal with \"terrorism and subversion in Northern Ireland\" in the \"context of civil liberties and human rights\", recommended the ending of SCS. It argued that SCS undermined the role of the prison authorities in maintaining discipline.\n\nThe government accepted the recommendation and on 1 March 1976, the new Labour Secretary of State Merlyn Rees announced the phasing out of SCS. Anyone convicted of a scheduled offence after March 1976 would be treated as an ordinary criminal and would have to wear a prison uniform, do prison work and serve their sentence in the new Maze Prison, in what became known as the H-Blocks. The response of some prisoners to this was violent, and six prison staff were killed in 1976 and 1977.\n\nBy late 1976, the new cellular prison accommodation recommended by Gardiner was ready to receive its first prisoners. In the week that Roy Mason took over from Merlyn Rees as Secretary of State, the first prisoner sentenced under the new policy arrived at the Maze and was ordered to wear a prison uniform. He was IRA volunteer Kieran Nugent, who had recently been convicted of hijacking a bus. Nugent refused to wear the uniform, saying he was not a criminal but a political prisoner. He was locked in his cell where he wrapped himself in the blanket that was on the bed rather than remain naked, beginning the blanket protest. This was the same action taken by old IRA prisoners in the south in the 1940s. By 1978, nearly 300 Irish republican prisoners were refusing to wear prison uniforms.\n\nThe protest was followed by the 1981 hunger strike when ten republican prisoners starved themselves to death in the Maze. The privileges were gradually phased back in afterwards, with the core demands of protesting prisoners in place by early 1983.\n\nReferences\n\n1972 establishments in the United Kingdom\n1976 disestablishments in the United Kingdom\n1970s in Northern Ireland\nPenal system in the United Kingdom\n\nThe Troubles (Northern Ireland)\nPolitical prisonship controversies",
"The Slaves' Prison (, ) officially known as the Grand Prison (; ) and colloquially as the bagnio, was a prison in Valletta, Malta. It was established in the late 16th century, and remained in use as a prison throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. It was subsequently used as a naval hospital, a school and an examination hall. It was bombed in World War II, and the ruins were demolished to make way for a block of flats.\n\nHistory\nThe Gran Prigione (Grand Prison) was established in around 1585 during the magistracy of Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle (1582–95). It was probably designed by the architect Girolamo Cassar. The building served as the Order of St. John's main prison, as well as a compound in which slaves were locked up at night. It could house around 900 inmates.\n\nAfter 1615, the prison was supplied by water from the Wignacourt Aqueduct. A Turkish slave who had been a hydrologist in Constantinople reportedly helped in the construction of the aqueduct, and in recognition of his work he was given his freedom and the prison became one of the first buildings in Valletta to be supplied by running water.\n\nBy 1631, part of the building was used as the Infermeria delle Schiavi, a hospital where ill land-bound slaves were treated. Sick galley slaves were not treated there but at the Great Magazine Ward of the nearby Sacra Infermeria.\n\nIn the Conspiracy of the Slaves of 1749, slaves at the Grandmaster's Palace planned to revolt, free the other slaves from the Slaves' Prison, and take over Fort Saint Elmo and the rest of Valletta. After the plot was discovered and brutally suppressed, a decree was issued stating that all slaves were to be locked up at the prison at night.\n\nFrom 1804 to 1819, the prison was used as a temporary naval hospital with 50 beds. After the 1806 Birgu polverista explosion, the government provided part of the prison as a store to the wine merchant Mr. Woodhouse, who had lost large quantities of wine in the disaster. In 1824 part of the building was demolished, to make way for a planned protestant church which did not materialise, only to later be rebuilt. Later on in the 19th century, the building housed an elementary school, which was known as l-iskola tal-ħabs (school of the prison). It eventually became an examination hall before being closed down in 1940. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. The prison was bombed in World War II, and the ruins were subsequently demolished. A large block of flats was built on its site in the 1950s.\n\nThe building\n\nThe prison was a large three-story high building occupying an entire city block close to the Lower Barrakka Gardens. A mid-19th century report describes it as:\n\nOther slaves' prisons were located in Birgu and Senglea, and these were both demolished in the 20th century like the Valletta prison.\n\nLife in the prison\n\nThe prison contained a tavern, from which slaves could buy food and drink, a mosque for Muslim slaves, and chapels dedicated to St. John the Baptist and the Holy Cross for Christian prisoners. Parts of the prison were accessible to the public, and some slaves operated barber shops and other establishments from within the prison.\n\nA court case dated 1779 describes the situation within the prison as:\n\nThe prison was run by a Prodomo, who served as the governor and was a knight of the Order of St. John. Agozzini had direct control over the prisoners, dividing them into work gangs for the galleys, while carcerieri were responsible for the register of prisoners and probably also acted as guards.\n\nFurther reading\n\nPrison closed entirely in 1853\n\nReferences\n\nBuildings and structures in Valletta\nDefunct prisons in Malta\nDefunct hospitals in Malta\nDefunct schools in Malta\nBuildings and structures completed in 1585\nBuildings and structures in Malta destroyed during World War II\nIslam in Malta\nSlavery in Malta\nSlave cabins and quarters"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:"
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what did they do to him? | 4 | what did the Chinese authorities do to Ai Weiwei? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"Follow Me! is a series of television programmes produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk and the BBC in the late 1970s to provide a crash course in the English language. It became popular in many overseas countries as a first introduction to English; in 1983, one hundred million people watched the show in China alone, featuring Kathy Flower.\n\nThe British actor Francis Matthews hosted and narrated the series.\n\nThe course consists of sixty lessons. Each lesson lasts from 12 to 15 minutes and covers a specific lexis. The lessons follow a consistent group of actors, with the relationships between their characters developing during the course.\n\nFollow Me! actors\n Francis Matthews\n Raymond Mason\n David Savile\n Ian Bamforth\n Keith Alexander\n Diane Mercer\n Jane Argyle\n Diana King\n Veronica Leigh\n Elaine Wells\n Danielle Cohn\n Lashawnda Bell\n\nEpisodes \n \"What's your name\"\n \"How are you\"\n \"Can you help me\"\n \"Left, right, straight ahead\"\n \"Where are they\"\n \"What's the time\"\n \"What's this What's that\"\n \"I like it very much\"\n \"Have you got any wine\"\n \"What are they doing\"\n \"Can I have your name, please\"\n \"What does she look like\"\n \"No smoking\"\n \"It's on the first floor\"\n \"Where's he gone\"\n \"Going away\"\n \"Buying things\"\n \"Why do you like it\"\n \"What do you need\"\n \"I sometimes work late\"\n \"Welcome to Britain\"\n \"Who's that\"\n \"What would you like to do\"\n \"How can I get there?\"\n \"Where is it\"\n \"What's the date\"\n \"Whose is it\"\n \"I enjoy it\"\n \"How many and how much\"\n \"What have you done\"\n \"Haven't we met before\"\n \"What did you say\"\n \"Please stop\"\n \"How can I get to Brightly\"\n \"Where can I get it\"\n \"There's a concert on Wednesday\"\n \"What's it like\"\n \"What do you think of him\"\n \"I need someone\"\n \"What were you doing\"\n \"What do you do\"\n \"What do you know about him\"\n \"You shouldn't do that\"\n \"I hope you enjoy your holiday\"\n \"Where can I see a football match\"\n \"When will it be ready\"\n \"Where did you go\"\n \"I think it's awful\"\n \"A room with a view\"\n \"You'll be ill\"\n \"I don't believe in strikes\"\n \"They look tired\"\n \"Would you like to\"\n \"Holiday plans\"\n \"The second shelf on the left\"\n \"When you are ready\"\n \"Tell them about Britain\"\n \"I liked everything\"\n \"Classical or modern\"\n \"Finale\"\n\nReferences \n\n BBC article about the series in China\n\nExternal links \n Follow Me – Beginner level \n Follow Me – Elementary level\n Follow Me – Intermediate level\n Follow Me – Advanced level\n\nAdult education television series\nEnglish-language education television programming",
"\"What Did I Do to You?\" is a song recorded by British singer Lisa Stansfield for her 1989 album, Affection. It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song was released as the fourth European single on 30 April 1990. It included three previously unreleased songs written by Stansfield, Devaney and Morris: \"My Apple Heart,\" \"Lay Me Down\" and \"Something's Happenin'.\" \"What Did I Do to You?\" was remixed by Mark Saunders and by the Grammy Award-winning American house music DJ and producer, David Morales. The single became a top forty hit in the European countries reaching number eighteen in Finland, number twenty in Ireland and number twenty-five in the United Kingdom. \"What Did I Do to You?\" was also released in Japan.\n\nIn 2014, the remixes of \"What Did I Do to You?\" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of Affection and on People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology. They were also featured on The Collection 1989–2003 box set (2014), including previously unreleased Red Zone Mix by David Morales.\n\nCritical reception\nThe song received positive reviews from music critics. Matthew Hocter from Albumism viewed it as a \"upbeat offering\". David Giles from Music Week said it is \"beautifully performed\" by Stansfield. A reviewer from Reading Eagle wrote that \"What Did I Do to You?\" \"would be right at home on the \"Saturday Night Fever\" soundtrack.\"\n\nMusic video\nA music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Philip Richardson, who had previously directed the videos for \"All Around the World\" and \"Live Together\". It features Stansfield with her kiss curls, dressed in a white outfit and performing with her band on a stage in front of a jumping audience. The video was later published on Stansfield's official YouTube channel in November 2009. It has amassed more than 1,6 million views as of October 2021.\n\nTrack listings\n\n European/UK 7\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix Edit) – 4:20\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n European/UK/Japanese CD single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix Edit) – 4:20\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 5:19\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 4:17\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n UK 10\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix) – 5:52\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 5:19\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 4:17\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n European/UK 12\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Morales Mix) – 7:59\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 4:22\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 3:19\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:15\n\n UK 12\" promotional single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Morales Mix) – 7:59\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Anti Poll Tax Dub) – 6:31\n\n Other remixes\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Red Zone Mix) – 7:45\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\nLisa Stansfield songs\n1990 singles\nSongs written by Lisa Stansfield\n1989 songs\nArista Records singles\nSongs written by Ian Devaney\nSongs written by Andy Morris (musician)"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | was he subjected to any other mistreatment? | 5 | Other than being detained in a tiny room, was Ai Weiwei subjected to any other mistreatment by the chinese? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | false | [
"Käthe Latzke (8 May 1899 - 31 March 1945) was a German political activist (KPD) who resisted Nazism and spent most of her final twelve years in state detention. Her health having been broken, she died in Ravensbrück concentration camp.\n\nLife\nKäthe Latzke came from a working-class family in Königsberg in East Prussia, which at that time was part of Germany. After leaving school she qualified as a typist. In 1916 she met the tailor and left-wing activist Hans Westermann who subsequently became her life partner. In 1918 Latze joined the Free Socialist Youth organisation. It was also in 1918 that she joined what later became the Young Communists. In 1920 she relocated to Hamburg where she and Hans Westermann moved in together. In 1924 she joined the Communist Party itself.\n\nShe also joined the AfA-Bund (trades union). Around this time she was arrested and sentenced to a month in prison for taking part in an unauthorised Demonstration. On her release she found a job with \"Red Aid\" (\"Rote Hilfe\"), a workers' welfare organisation with close links to the German and therefore, many people believed, the Soviet Communist parties. She worked in the Hamburg office of \"Red Aid\" between 1926 and 1930. During the later 1920s the savage internal differences in the Soviet Communist Party, which saw Stalin's potential rivals removed from positions of power and influence, were closely mirrored by divisions within the German Communist Party, which by 1930 was led by the hardline Stalinists around Ernst Thälmann. In 1930 Latze's partner, Hans Westermann, was condemned as a conciliator (Versöhnler) and expelled from the party. The accusation, which was an extremely serious one, referred to Westermann's advocacy of closer collaboration with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in order to present a more united front on the left to resist the threat of electoral success by the extreme right. The Communist leadership were at this point strongly opposed to any sort of collaboration with the SPD, whom they characterised as \"social fascists\". Latze was also expelled from the party in 1929 or 1930, which involved dismissal from her job with \"Red Aid\", and left her unemployed.\n\nAfter his exclusion from the party Westermann continued to engage politically. In his Hamburg region he became the focus of a circle of people who had, like him, been condemned as \"conciliators\" and expelled. The circle came to be identified as the \"Westermann Group\". It appears that their ideas continued to receive support, especially from trades union elements, within the Communist Party, since at the regional party conference in 1932 the leadership found it necessary to warn delegates expressly against the \"machinations of the Westermann renegades\" (den \"Treibereien des Renegaten Westermann\"). The political backdrop changed dramatically in January 1933 when the Nazis took power and converted Germany into a one-party dictatorship. Political activity (except in support of the Nazi party) became illegal. Westermann was arrested by the Gestapo in June 1933 and detained for seven months. In 1934 he held a meeting with Hermann Schubert. He was still hoping, in defiance of the changed political context, to promote greater unity between German Communists and Social Democrats. He was reconciled with the Communist Party, but by this time those in party leadership who were not in state detention had mostly fled and were living as political exiles in Paris or Moscow. The Westermann Group\" disappeared, but Westermann himself remained in Germany. Westermann and Lateze were both arrested, along with other members of the former \"Westermann Group\" overnight on 5/6 March 1935. Westermann died, probably as a result of the torture to which he was subjected at the pre-trial detention centre , on 16 March 1935. Latzke was also subjected to appalling mistreatment, but she survived and on 26 June 1935 faced the Hamburg District High Court. She received a two-year prison sentence which she served at the Lübeck detention facility. After the two years had been spent, she was held for several more years in \"protective detention\" (\"Schutzhaft\") on the other side of the country, at the Moringen concentration camp.\n\nIn 1940 she was released. The serious mistreatment to which she had been subjected was apparent from her physical condition. She was suffering from edema (dropsy) on her legs, typhus and heart damage. Her released was made conditional on her not returning to her Hamburg home base, and she therefore settled in Stralsund. Through Paul and Magda Thürey, she nevertheless established contacts with the Hamburg based resistance group round Bernhard Bästlein. At the end of 1943, at the request of the :de:Staatspolizeileitstelle HamburgHamburg Gestapo, she was rearrested, and in April 1944 she was transferred to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Here she died on 31 March 1945, following complications arising from the typhus to which she had fallen victim.\n\nReferences\n\nPoliticians from Königsberg\nCommunists in the German Resistance\nCommunist Party of Germany politicians\nPeople who died in Ravensbrück concentration camp\n1899 births\n1945 deaths\nGerman people who died in Nazi concentration camps",
"Amal Bint Yahya al-Moallimi is the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Norway. She is the second Saudi woman ambassador and is the sister of Ambassador Abdallah Yahya al-Mouallimi, the long-standing Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations.\n\nBackground and Education\nAmal al-Moallimi has a bachelor’s degree in the English Language from Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia. She also obtained a graduate degree in Mass Communication and Media from the University of Denver in the United States.\n\nAmbassador al-Moallimi had held the position of the Director General of Organizations and International Cooperation at the Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC or Commission) since 2019. Prior to it, she was Assistant Secretary-General at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue prior to it.\n\nAl-Moallimi and Loujain al-Hathloul\nAmal al-Moallimi was one of the members of the Saudi HRC who visited Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent Saudi Arabian woman human rights activist in prison, on 26 November 2020. During that prison visit, al-Hhathloul told al-Moallimi and the other members of the Commission (the other two visiting members were Wafa Alsaleh, and Samha Saeed Alghamdi) about incidents of torture, sexual harassment, electrocution, and threats of rape and mistreatment in prison. She then asked them, “Will you be able to protect me?”\n\nAccording to al-Hathloul’s family, the commission members said they could not help her and there is no evidence that they ever did. And while the Saudi Human Rights Commission's 2019 annual report mentioned receiving complaints about torture and mistreatment, it listed no actions taken to investigate or protect al-Hathloul. A few months later, a representative of the Human Rights Commission spoke to the Saudi media outlet Okaz, and even denied reports of torture and mistreatment in Saudi prisons. \n\nAccording to Democracy in the Arab World Now (DAWN), an independent non-governmental organization, the refusal of al-Moallimi and her colleagues to investigate al-Hathloul’s complaint and take appropriate action violated their obligation under the Saudi Statute governing the Commission to “receive and verify complaints related to human rights and take legal measures pertaining to them.” DAWN contacted Amal al-Moallimi and requested a response on the above on October 30, 2020, but did not receive any. \n\nDespite hearing directly from al-Hathloul about being subjected to specific incidents of torture and ill-treatment in a Saudi prison, al-Moallimi made public appearances lauding the Saudi government’s treatment of women. On October 14, 2019, a year after her visit to al-Hathloul, al-Moallimi was a keynote speaker in the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut, Lebanon. Al-Moallimi praised “women’s empowerment” in Saudi Arabia and claimed that the Saudi authorities have been combating harassment against women.\n\nReferences \n\nYear of birth missing (living people)\nLiving people"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what was he charged with? | 6 | what was Ai Weiwei charged with by the Chinese authrities? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"David Appel (, born 7 August 1950) is an Israeli businessman, general contractor, and Likud party activist.\n\nBackground\nAppel was raised by his grandparents, and educated in an ORT technical dormitory school in Magdiel, where he studied printing. He was not drafted into the IDF due to an injury sustained when printing machinery fell on his hand. At age 20 he joined the Likud youth organisation, where he formed lifelong friendships with many people who would later become influential Israeli politicians.\n\nIn 1975 he opened a baby products store in Tel Aviv, which eventually became a national chain. He was also a partner in the Gazan UP-7 company. In 1977 he sold his chain and opened a general contracting firm with partner Shalom Prussak, which became state-recognised within three years and ultimately built thousands of housing units, many of them under contract for the Israeli Housing Ministry.\n\nCorruption charges\nThe Attorney General of Israel ruled that between 1983 and 1986, Appel's contracting company had operated in a manner violating the law, and only 13 years later in 1997 he was cleared of all charges.\n\nIn 2003 the State again brought charges against Appel, this time dealing with four separate cases of bribery and dishonest business practices. The indictment charged that he had promised civil servants reelection in exchange for approving his projects in Central Israel, especially Lod and Giv'at Shmuel. Among those accused of accepting bribes were former MK Nehama Ronen, then director of the Environment Ministry, Israel Land Administration official Oded Tal, Lod mayor Benny Regev, and Giv'at Shmuel council head Zamir ben Ari.\n\nIn 2004 he was charged with bribing Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, in what became known as the Greek Island Affair, and was also charged with five other bribe offenses. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz eventually ruled that Sharon could not be charged with receiving bribes from Appel. As of September 2008 all but one bribery charge against Appel had been dropped.\n\nIn 2010 he was convicted of bribery and was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. He also started bankruptcy proceedings.\n\nReferences\n\nLiving people\nIsraeli Jews\nIsraeli businesspeople\nYear of birth missing (living people)",
"George Ernest Rudolph (29 April 1901 – 1 April 1967) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s.\n\nFamily\nThe son of Frank Rudolph and Eliza Rudolph, née Barrett, George Ernest Rudolph was born in Steiglitz, Victoria on 29 April 1901.\n\nHe married Edna Mary Maud White (1904–) on 14 April 1928.\n\nFootball\nSaid to be an idol of Richmond great Jack Dyer, Rudolph was a follower, who played originally with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), but was also used in key positions.\n\nHawthorn (VFA)\nHaving played with Camberwell Districts (1917), and with the East Burwood Football Club in 1918 and 1919, he was recruited by the VFA club Hawthorn. He played his first match on 10 July 1920 and played a total of 13 games, scoring seven goals in two seasons.\n\nRichmond (VFL)\nGranted a permit in May 1922, by Hawthorn to play with Richmond, Rudolph only played three matches with the Richmond First XVIII before he left to play country football.\n\nSt. James\nOn leaving Richmond, he played with the St. James Football Club in the Benalla-Yarrawonga Line Football Association for the remainder of the 1922 season.\n\nLang Lang\nIn 1923, he played with the Lang Lang Football Club, coached by Harry Harker, in the Berwick District Football Association.\n\nRichmond (VFL)\nHe returned to Richmond in 1924.\n\nOn 2 May 1925, he was one of the Richmond team that played against his old club, Hawthorn, in its first-ever VFL match (, and were admitted to the VFL competition in 1925 season).\n\nA Victorian interstate representative, he appeared in seven finals over the course of his career, including the 1927 VFL Grand Final and 1928 Grand Final. Rudolph played both premiership deciders from centre half-forward but Richmond didn't win either.\n\nOakleigh (VFA)\nIn 1929, two new teams, Oakleigh and Sandringham, were admitted to the Victorian Football Association (VFA) competition.\n\nAlong with Geelong's Eric Fleming, St Kilda's Wal Gunnyon, Essendon's Frank Maher and Chris Gomez, and Richmond's Fred Goding, Rudolph went to the Oakleigh in 1929 without a clearance from the VFL (in doing so, all of them were automatically disqualified from the VFL for three years). However, another ex-Essendon player, Vince Irwin, who also went to Oakleigh in 1929, did receive a clearance from South Bendigo Football Club, with whom he had played in the Bendigo Football League (BFL) in 1927 and 1928.\n\nRudolph was a member of Oakleigh's inaugural VFA premiership teams in 1930 and 1931, as a centre half-back in the latter.\n\nCoburg (VFA)\nIn 1932, Oakleigh appointed ex-Collingwood footballer Harry Chesswas as its captain-coach; and, in 1933, in promoting Eric Fleming to the position of the team's captain-coach, the club also informed Rudolph that \"should he desire a clearance to any other club it would be granted on his application\".\n\nOakleigh cleared Rudolph cleared to Coburg in March 1933. He played in 24 games as centre half-back that season, including the ferocious Grand Final—eight players, including Rudolph, were reported for 14 different offences—in which Coburg lost to Northcote, 9.16 (70) to 11.21 (87).\n\nRudolph was appointed captain-coach of Coburg in 1934.\n\nNew Town (TFL)\nIn 1936, he moved to Tasmania, and played with the New Town Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League (TFL).\n\nIn his last match (against North Hobart on 19 August 1939), he was reported, found guilty of the charge, and suspended for one week. Without Rudolph in its team, New Town lost the 16 August 1939 elimination final match to Lefroy, 8.10 (58) to 9.11 (65).\n\nDue to his enlistment in the Second AIF in June 1940, he was no longer available for selection at New Town. In 1940 he was the coach of various AIF teams in Tasmania.\n\nReports and suspensions\nAccording to Hogan (1996, p. 200), Rudolph was \"a fiery player [who] came under the notice of umpires on several occasions receiving a total of 61 weeks in suspensions in his career\".\n 1925 (Richmond): charged with striking St Kilda's Frank Scully on 18 July 1925.\nThe charge was dismissed.\n 1925 (Richmond): charged with striking St Kilda's John Lord on 18 July 1925.\nRudolph was found guilty and was suspended for 6 matches.\n 1926 (Richmond): charged with having used obscene language to Carlton's Jim Watson on 3 July 1926.\nRudolph was found guilty and was suspended for two matches.\n 1927 (Richmond): charged with kicking Fitzroy's George Gordon on 9 July 1927.\nThe charge was dismissed.\n 1928 (Richmond): charged with unseemly conduct in having thrown the football at Geelong's Eric Fleming on 1 September 1928.\nThe charge was dismissed.\n 1930 (Oakleigh): charged with tripping Coburg's Hugh Donnelly on 21 June 1930. The charge was dismissed.\n 1933 (Coburg): charged with striking Williamstown's Cairo Dixon on 6 May 1939.\nAlthough sustaining the charge, the Tribunal acknowledged that Rudolph had been provoked and decided that, under the circumstances, \"[although] a penalty of two weeks suspension would be recorded, … it would be suspended subject to no charge being brought against him and proved within a period of two years\".\n 1933 (Coburg): Eight players were charged with sixteen offences committed during the fiery 1933 VFA Grand Final in which Coburg 9.16 (70) and Northcote Football Club on 7 October 1933.\nRudolph was charged with four offences (the tribunal noted that, in the course of the match, \"Rudolph had received great provocation\"):\nkicking Northcote's captain-coach Percy Rowe in the second quarter (Rowe was charged with striking Rudolph in the second quarter). The charge against Rudolph was not sustained (Rowe was suspended for one week).\nstriking Northcote's Eddie M. Bray in the last quarter (Bray was charged with striking Rudolph in the last quarter). Rudolph was found guilty, and suspended for one week. (Bray, who was also reported for striking the Coburg captain-coach, Greg Stockdale, was found guilty of both offences and suspended for a total of six weeks).\nstriking Northcote's Tommy Corrigan in the last quarter (Corrigan was charged with striking Rudolph in the last quarter). Rudolph was found guilty, and suspended for one week.\nstriking Northcote's Ralph Goullet in the last quarter. Rudolph was found guilty, and suspended for one week.\n 1934 (Coburg): charged with kicking Preston's Robert W. Cameron in the third quarter of the 1934 VFA Preliminary Final match on 22 September 1934.\nRudolph was found guilty and was suspended until July 1936.\n 1936 (New Town): charged with elbowing Lefroy's W. Humphreys on 18 July 1936. Rudolph was found guilty and was suspended for four matches.\nOn 27 July 1936 an appeal was lodged against the verdict. The appeal was subsequently rejected.\n 1939 (New Town): charged with striking North Hobart's Raymond Percival Carr on 19 August 1939.\nRudolph was found guilty and was suspended for one match.\n\nCricket\nHe played in six matches with the Fitzroy Cricket Club's First XI in the District Cricket Competition in between 1932 and 1935. \"George was also a fine fast bowler [for Fitzroy] … [who] scored 21 runs with a highest score of 12 and took 6 wickets\".\n\nMilitary service\nHe enlisted in the Second AIF in 1940, and served in the Army Service Corps. He was discharged in 1944.\n\nSee also\n 1927 Melbourne Carnival\n\nFootnotes\n\nReferences\n Hardy, Tony, Finding Jack Dyer: The Remarkable Story of 'Captain Blood': Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, The Slattery Media Group, (Richmond), 2013. \n Hogan P: The Tigers of Old, Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996. \n Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.\n \"Jumbo\" Sharland, \"George Rudolph Has Helped to Make Richmond a Match Winning Side\", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 23 July 1927), p. 6.\n George Rudolph's Serious Illness, The Age, Friday, 20 May 1938), p. 17.\n\nExternal links\n\n \n \n George Rudolph: VFA Project.\n George Rudolph, Demonwiki.\n George Rudolph, Boyles Football Photos.\n Memorial Plaque: G.E. Rudolph, Cornelian Bay Cemetery.\n\n1901 births\n1967 deaths\nRichmond Football Club players\nHawthorn Football Club (VFA) players\nOakleigh Football Club players\nCoburg Football Club players\nCoburg Football Club coaches\nAustralian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)\nAustralian Army personnel of World War II\nAustralian Army soldiers"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what did the public think of his imprisonment? | 7 | what did the chinese public think of Ai Weiwei imprisonment? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"David Courtney Boyle (born 1958) is a British author and journalist who writes mainly about history and new ideas in economics, money, business, and culture. He lives in Steyning in West Sussex. He conducted an independent review for the Treasury and the Cabinet Office on public demand for choice in public services which reported in 2013. He is co-founder and policy director of Radix, which he characterized in 2017 as a radical centrist think tank. He is also co-director of the mutual think tank New Weather Institute.\n\nWriting\nHis book Authenticity put the phenomenon on the business and political agenda. His previous books The Tyranny of Numbers and The Sum of Our Discontent predicted and fermented the backlash against target culture. Funny Money helped launched the time banks movement in the UK.\nMore recently, his writing has suggested why organisations and public services can be ineffective. He worked with the New Economics Foundation and NESTA on a series of publications about coproduction. His solutions are also published in The Human Element. This argues that organisations have abandoned human skills in favour of numerical targets or IT systems, which frustrate the business of building relationships and making things happen. He helped to launch the popular campaign against the failures of the Southern Rail franchise with his book Cancelled!, and his experimental 'passenger strike' in 2017.\n\nHis history books usually have a business or economic dimension, including Blondel's Song (UK) and The Troubadour's Song (USA) about the imprisonment and ransom of Richard the Lionheart. His 2008 book Toward the Setting Sun tells the intertwined story of Christopher Columbus, John Cabot and Amerigo Vespucci and their race for America in the 1490s. His 2010 book, Eminent Corporations (with Andrew Simms) has introduced a new genre, the mini-corporate biography, launching the idea of corporate history as tragedy. His 2013 book Broke argued that the middle classes were also being squeezed by the political and economic elite.\n\nHe has been the editor of several non-peer-reviewed journals including New Economics and Town & Country Planning. He is a fellow of the New Economics Foundation.\n\nHe was editor of the weekly Liberal Democrat News from 1992–1998. He edited the Foundation's publications New Economics, News from the New Economy, and then Radical Economics from 1987–2010.\n\nOther work\nHe has been involved with developing coproduction and introducing time banks to Britain as part of public service reform, developing the idea of coproduction with the innovation agency Nesta. He has been involved in the Clone Town Britain campaign and writes about the future of volunteering, cities and business.\n\nBoyle helped found the London Time Bank, and was co-founder of Time Banking UK. He has been a candidate for Parliament of the United Kingdom, and sat on the federal policy committee of the Liberal Democrats from 1998-2012. He was Lib Dem Blogger of the Year 2013.\n\nBibliography\nBuilding Futures, 1989\nWhat is New Economics?, 1993\nAlternative Identities, Alternative Currencies, 1999\nFunny Money: In search of alternative cash, 1999 () \nThe Sum of Our Discontent, 2001\nThe Tyranny of Numbers, 2001 \nThe Little Money Book, 2003 ()\nThe Money Changers: Currency Reform from Aristotle to e-cash, 2003\nNumbers, 2004 ()\nAuthenticity: Brands, Fakes, Spin and the Lust for Real Life, 2004 ()\nThe Troubadour's Song: The Capture and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart, 2005 ()\nBlondel's Song: The Capture, Imprisonment and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart, 2005 ()\nLeaves the World to Darkness 2007 ()\nToward the Setting Sun: Columbus, Cabot and Vespucci and the Race for America 2008 ()\nCo-production: A manifesto for growing the core economy 2008 ()\nThe New Economics: A Bigger Picture with Andrew Simms (2009) Routledge \nMoney Matters (2009) \nThe Wizard (2010) \nEminent Corporations with Andrew Simms (2010) \nVoyages of Discovery (2011) \nThe Human Element: Ten new rules to kickstart our failing organizations 2011 ()\nBroke: Who Killed the Middle Classes? (2013) Fourth Estate \nThe Age to Come. Authenticity, Postmodernism and How to Survive What Comes Next (2013)\nHow to be English Square Peg (2015) 978-0224100977\nAlan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma Endeavour Press/Real Press (2015) 978-1500985370\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n David Boyle's official site\n Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: David Boyle\n Meet the Lib Dem bloggers Q&A\n New Weather Institute, co-operative think tank associated with Boyle\n Radix, radical centrist think tank associated with Boyle\n\n1958 births\nLiving people\nBritish economics writers\nLiberal Democrats (UK) parliamentary candidates\nPeople from Crystal Palace, London\nRadical centrist writers",
"The Public Order Act 1963 (c. 52) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.\n\nChanges to penalties and mode of trial\n\nSection 1(1) increased the penalties to which a person guilty of an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1936 (conduct conducive to breach of the peace) or under section 1(1) of the Public Meeting Act 1908 (endeavouring to break up meetings) was liable. It also provided that the offence under the Public Order Act 1936 was to become triable on indictment. It provided that a person guilty of either of those offences was liable on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to a fine not exceeding £500, or to both, or on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding £100, or to both. This did not apply to offences committed before 31 July 1963.\n\nConsequential amendments\n\nSection 1(2) effected consequential amendments to section 7(2) of the Public Order Act 1936 and section 1(1) of the Public Meetings Act 1908 which had previously specified the penalty and mode of trial for those two offences.\n\nSee also\nPublic Order Act\n\nReferences\n\nUnited Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1963"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government.",
"what did the public think of his imprisonment?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation"
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | did they have evidence against him? | 8 | did the Chinese authorities have evidence against Ai Weiwei? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"Statements obtained under torture are not admissible evidence in court proceedings in many jurisdictions.\n\nInternational law\n\nArticle 15 of the 1984 United Nations Convention Against Torture specify that:\n\nA similar provision is also found in Article 10 of the 1985 Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture:\n\nThese provisions have the double dissuasive effect of nullifying any utility in using torture with the purpose of eliciting a confession, as well as confirming that should a person extract statements by torture, this can be used against him or her in criminal proceedings. The reason for this is because experience has shown that under torture, or even under a threat of torture, a person will say or do anything solely to avoid the pain. As a result, there is no way to know whether or not the resulting statement is actually correct. If any court relies on any evidence obtained from torture regardless of validity, it provides an incentive for state officials to force a confession, creating a marketplace for torture, both domestically and overseas.\n\nWithin national borders\n\nMost states have prohibited their legal systems from accepting evidence that is extracted by torture. The question of the use of evidence obtained under torture has arisen in connection with prosecutions during the War on Terror in the United Kingdom and the United States.\n\nUK \"torture by proxy\" \nThe UK's Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, states that he was aware from August 2002 \"that the CIA were bringing in detainees to Tashkent from Bagram airport Afghanistan, who were handed over to the Uzbek security services (SNB). I presumed at the time that these were all Uzbek nationals—that may have been a false presumption. I knew that the CIA were obtaining intelligence from their subsequent interrogation by the SNB.\" He goes on to say that he did not know at the time that any non-Uzbek nationals were flown to Uzbekistan and although he has studied the reports by several journalists and finds their reports credible he is not a firsthand authority on this issue.\n\nIn 2003, Murray suggested that it was \"wrong to use information gleaned from torture\". The unanimous Law Lords judgment on 8 December 2005 confirmed this position. They ruled that, under English law tradition, \"torture and its fruits\" could not be used in court. But the information thus obtained could be used by the British police and security services as \"it would be ludicrous for them to disregard information about a ticking bomb if it had been procured by torture.\"\n\nMurray's accusations did not lead to any investigation by his employer, the FCO, and he resigned after disciplinary action was taken against him in 2004. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office itself was being investigated by the National Audit Office because of accusations that it has victimized, bullied and intimidated its own staff.\n\nMurray later stated that he felt that he had unwittingly stumbled upon what has been called \"torture by proxy\". He thought that Western countries moved people to regimes and nations where it was known that information would be extracted by torture, and made available to them.\n\nDuring a House of Commons debate on 7 July 2009, MP David Davis accused the UK government of outsourcing torture, by allowing Rangzieb Ahmed to leave the country (even though they had evidence against him upon which he was later convicted for terrorism) to Pakistan, where it is said the Inter-Services Intelligence was given the go-ahead by the British intelligence agencies to torture Ahmed. Davis further accused the government of trying to gag Ahmed, stopping him coming forward with his accusations after he had been imprisoned back in the UK. He said, there was \"an alleged request to drop his allegations of torture: if he did that, they could get his sentence cut and possibly give him some money. If this request to drop the torture case is true, it is frankly monstrous. It would at the very least be a criminal misuse of the powers and funds under the Government's Contest strategy, and at worst a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.\"\n\nUnited States \nIn May 2008, Susan J. Crawford, the official overseeing prosecutions before the Guantanamo military commissions, declined to refer for trial the case of Mohammed al-Qahtani because she said, \"we tortured [him].\" Crawford said that a combination of techniques with clear medical consequences amounted to the legal definition of torture and that torture \"tainted everything going forward.\"\n\nOn 28 October 2008, Guantanamo military judge Stephen R. Henley ruled that the government cannot use statements made as a result of torture in the military commission case against Afghan national Mohammed Jawad. The judge held that Jawad's alleged confession to throwing a grenade at two U.S. service members and an Afghan interpreter was obtained after armed Afghan officials on 17 December 2002, threatened to kill Jawad and his family. The government had previously told the judge that Jawad's alleged confession while in Afghan custody was central to the case against him. Hina Shamsi, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project stated: \"We welcome the judge's decision that death threats constitute torture and that evidence obtained as a result must be excluded from trial. Unfortunately, evidence obtained through torture and coercion is pervasive in military commission cases that, by design, disregard the most fundamental due process rights, and no single decision can cure that.\" A month later, on 19 November, the judge again rejected evidence gathered through coercive interrogations in the military commission case against Afghan national Mohammed Jawad, holding that the evidence collected while Jawad was in U.S. custody on 17–18 December 2002, cannot be admitted in his trial, mainly because the U.S. interrogator had blindfolded and hooded Jawad in order to frighten him.\n\nIn the 2010 New York trial of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani who was accused of complicity in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ruled evidence obtained under coercion inadmissible. The ruling excluded an important witness, whose name had been extracted from the defendant under duress. The jury acquitted him of 280 charges and convicted on only one charge of conspiracy.\n\nReferences\n\nTorture\nEvidence",
"R v Wray, [1971] S.C.R. 272 is a famous pre-Charter decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on the exclusion of improperly obtained evidence. The Court, following the English common law established in Kuruma v R, [1955] A.C. 197 (P.C.), held that judges had no discretion to exclude evidence whose admission would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.\n\nThe police arrested Wray in connection with a murder. Through the use of forceful interrogation techniques they managed to get inculpatory information from him and had him show the police where he left evidence of his crime.\n\nAt trial the judge held that the evidence must be excluded.\n\nMartland, with Fauteux, Abbott, Ritchie, and Pigeon concurring, held that the judge did not have the discretion to exclude the evidence. They distinguished between unfair methods of collecting evidence, which should never be the basis of evidence exclusion, and unfair trial process, which should always result in exclusion of evidence. Neither of these two cases could be subject to any discretion.\n\nIn dissent, Cartwright found that all the precedents pointed to a common notion that the accused cannot be forced to self-incriminate, which implied that a judge would necessarily require discretion on the exclusion of evidence.\n\nSee also\n List of Supreme Court of Canada cases (Richards Court through Fauteux Court)\n\nExternal links\n Full text of Supreme Court decision at Canlii.org and Lexum\nSuppressing the Truth: Judicial Exclusion of Illegally Obtained Evidence in the United States, Canada, England and Australia\n\nCanadian criminal procedure case law\nSupreme Court of Canada cases\nSupreme Court of Canada case articles without infoboxes\n1971 in Canadian case law\nCanadian evidence case law"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government.",
"what did the public think of his imprisonment?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation",
"did they have evidence against him?",
"professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence"
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | did he give any interviews? | 9 | did Ai Weiwei give any interviews about his arrest in China? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"Real Hasta la Muerte is the debut studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. Released on July 17, 2018, under the label Real Hasta la Muerte, the album features 12 tracks, and features collaborations with urban artists such as Ozuna, Ñengo Flow, Zion and Wisin. It was released hours before Anuel AA left jail and on September 18, 2018, the RIAA certified Real Hasta la Muerte Platinum.\n\nProduction\nAnuel AA, working with \"Joshi\", conceived and recorded the entire album while he was in prison. Due to his imprisonment, he did not give any interviews about the project.\n\nAlthough the singer's lawyer, Edwin Prado, had anticipated the media that his client kept working from prison to get a production, the exclusive that the album would be released on the day of Anuel AA's release from prison was published by Billboard magazine. The publication anticipated that on the 18th there would be a complete and in-depth interview with the trap singer.\n\nTrack listing\n\nCharts\n\nWeekly charts\n\nYear-end charts\n\nCertifications\n\nReferences\n\n2018 debut albums\nAnuel AA albums",
"is a Japanese traveler who lived for almost four months in Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport. He arrived at the airport on September 2, 2008, and left on December 29, 2008 to live in a Mexico City apartment with a woman identified as Oyuki.\n\nBiography\nNohara (born c. 1967) worked in Tokyo cleaning office buildings prior to his arrival in Mexico. During his stay at the airport, he lived off food given to him by airport fast food establishments, and blankets, clothing and other miscellaneous items brought to him by curious people who visited him. Later, owing to Nohara's acquired celebrity status, the fast food chains also started to give him branded shirts, caps, and mugs, with the expectation that the items would appear on the frequent nationwide television interviews. Nohara learned some Spanish and apparently knew some English as well.\nThe local media did conduct an interview with him with an interpreter, yet he refused to explain his long stay at the airport, even though he did not have any documentation problems. An airport waitress suggested this was due to some relationship matter.\n\nSee also\nThe Terminal\nTombés du ciel\n Mehran Karimi Nasseri\n Zahra Kamalfar\n Feng Zhenghu\n Sanjay Shah\nList of people who have lived at airports\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Anova article\n\n1960s births\nLiving people\nPeople from Tokyo\nMexican culture\nJapan–Mexico relations"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government.",
"what did the public think of his imprisonment?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation",
"did they have evidence against him?",
"professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence",
"did he give any interviews?",
"In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home"
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what did he speak about? | 10 | what did Ai Weiwei speak about in his interview by Art in America magazine? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | CANNOTANSWER | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | false | [
"Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought To Say): reflections on faith and literature is an anthology of literary critical and theological essays authored by Frederick Buechner. Published in 2001 by Harper Collins, Speak What We Feel is Buechner's thirteenth non-fiction work.\n\nContent \nSpeak What We Feel is a collection of essays on the topic of literature and theology. The author devotes each of the individual four chapters to an author, poet, or playwright: Gerard Manley Hopkins, Mark Twain, G. K. Chesterton, and William Shakespeare. Within each chapter, Buechner re-narrates the life of the writer, before discussing in detail one or more of their works. The essays include Buechner's reflections on King Lear (1608), The Man Who Was Thursday (1908), and Adventures Huckleberry Finn (1884).\n\nSpeak What We Feel is dedicated to the author's grandson, and to his 'old friend', Malcolm Goldstein. Buechner scholar, Jeffrey Munroe, notes that the title for the work is taken from the closing lines of King Lear.\n\nThemes \nIn his introduction to Speak What We Feel, Buechner writes that he has 'undertaken [...] to say something first about the sad times for each of them' — accepting that little is known about Shakespeare's biography — and 'then to consider how those sad times and the way each came eventually to terms with them are reflected in the masterpieces they seem to me to have engendered'. The author also states that the essays are written with the presupposition that 'all of our stories are at their deepest level the same story', and that by 'listening to these four say so powerfully not what they ought to say, but what they truly felt, we may possibly learn something about how to bear the weight of our own sadness.'\n\nIn his review of Speak What We Feel, Bruce Wood argues that the authors and works considered in the volume are 'allusive presences' throughout Buechner's broader work. This is echoed by Jeffrey Munro, who further suggests that Buechner writes out of a particular affinity with the writers included in Speak What We Feel, commenting that many of the author's 'greatest works' were 'formed from the crucible of his pain'. For Munroe, this affinity is made explicit by the author in his 'Afterword', which, the critic writes, is characterised by a 'pathos' that is thematic throughout Buechner's work.\n\nBuechner scholar, Dale Brown, writes that Speak What We Feel demonstrates Buechner's consistent 'affirmation of joy and laughter as in balance with the catharsis of suffering'. The critic agrees with Munroe's suggestion that the work is autobiographical in nature, writing that it is 'a consideration of the weight of [Buechner's] own sad times, through an encounter with those of Twain, Hopkins, Chesterton, and Shakespeare'. Brown concludes that while Speak What We Feel 'reveals a good bit about four literary greats, it reveals even more about Buechner himself', and that the 'small volume is a litany in praise of kindred spirits'.\n\nReferences \n\nBooks about Christianity\nBooks about Jesus\nBooks about the Bible\n2001 non-fiction books\nAmerican non-fiction books\nAmerican anthologies\nEssay anthologies\nBooks by Frederick Buechner\nBooks about literature\nBooks about poetry\nBooks about poets",
"Before I Speak is the debut album from Canadian singer/songwriter Kyle Riabko. The album infuses R&B style with elements of funk and soul.\n\nThe album was released a few months prior to Riabko's high school graduation. Each song on the album was written by Riabko. He played guitar and bass for the recording along with backing from former Prince drummer Michael Bland and former Grapes of Wrath keyboardist Vince Jones. Liz Phair and Robert Randolph contributed guest vocals. The album was co-produced by Riabko with Matt Wallace and Chris Burke-Gaffney, who acts as Riabko's manager.\n\nMost of the album's recording took place at Sound City in Los Angeles. The tracks \"Before I Speak\" and \"Doesn't Get Much Better\" were recorded in Riabko's bedroom at his parents' home just prior to the completion of the album. Three singles were released from the album: \"Carry On,\" \"Do You Right,\" and \"What Did I Get Myself Into.\"\n\nTrack listing\n\n \"Learn To Speak\" (Intro)\n \"Do You Right\"\n \"What Did I Get Myself Into\"\n \"Half As Much\"\n \"Miss Behavin’\"\n \"Carry On\"\n \"Chemistry Blues\" (Interlude)\n \"Before I Speak\"\n \"Waiting\"\n \"Paranoid\"\n \"Teach Me\"\n \"Chemistry\n \"Doesn’t Get Much Better\"\n \"Until Next Time\" (Outro)\n \"Good Time\"\n \"Devil\" (hidden track)\n\nExternal links\n Review of Before I Speak\n\n2005 debut albums\nKyle Riabko albums\nAlbums recorded at Sound City Studios"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government.",
"what did the public think of his imprisonment?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation",
"did they have evidence against him?",
"professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence",
"did he give any interviews?",
"In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home",
"what did he speak about?",
"I don't know."
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what is an interesting fact regarding his release? | 11 | what is an interesting fact regarding Ai Weiwei release from chinese prison? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | false | [
"The Revival of the Fittest EP is the second and final extended play by the American Christian screamo band Aftereight. It was independently released on September 18, 2007. The EP is no longer available digitally, and is also out of print.\n\nThe EP served as a bridging release of the band's genre transition from screamo to their newly found pop rock sound. Ultimately, this would lead the band to change their name to Capital Lights the next year, as a sign of their new direction.\n\nIt is also the release to spark the attention of Tooth & Nail Records, and what eventually led to the band signing with the label.\n\nBackground\nBryson Phillips later told Tulsa World, after the release, that he considered this the band's first professional release, stating that they previously \"just burned discs to give away and sell at shows. There was nothing professional about it whatsoever.\"\n\nCritical reception\nThough reception was small, the release garnered high praise from the few music sites that did review it.\n\nJJ Francesco of New Release Tuesday praised the EP immensely saying: \"This album is a nice treat if you can somehow find it. The rock is good and it's interesting to hear what the poppy rock Capital Lights sounds up with the energy amped up a bit.\" Preston Tucker of Jesus Freak Hideout plainly stated: \"Overall, this album is very solid. In fact, it would be a grave mistake for any power pop / rock fan to turn this one down.\"\n\nTrack listing\n\nPersonnel\nAftereight\nBryson Phillips - lead vocals, bass\nBrett Admire - guitar\nJonathan Williams - guitar\nMichael Phillips - drums\n\nNotes\nThe tracks \"Worth as Much as a Counterfeit Dollar\", \"The Night of Your Life is When You Die\", and \"Can I Get an Amen!\" are all re-recorded for the band's next album This Is an Outrage!.\n\nReferences\n\n2007 EPs\nCapital Lights albums\nChristian rock EPs",
"The Tamil Panar (or , ) were an ancient musical community of the Tamil area in India, attested from the classical Sangam texts onwards through medieval inscriptions. They sang their songs to the accompaniment of the yāl harp.\n\nIn fact medieval inscriptions present evidence for their performing Sanskrit drama and for singing and training temple dancers in hindu temples. As Palaniappan states therein: \"What is interesting about the traditional views regarding the social status of the Pāṇars is that they were not informed by any real data on the Pāṇars actually living in Tamil Nadu during medieval times. Such real data are indeed available to us from Tamil inscriptions, which present a drastically different picture of the social status of the Pāṇars\".\n\nNotable personages \n Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar (7th century CE)\n Thiruppaan Alvar (8–9th century CE)\n\nSee also \n Panar (Kundapura), a modern-day community of Karnataka\n\nReferences\n\nTamil history\nTamil"
]
|
[
"Ai Weiwei",
"Release",
"what is release referring to?",
"On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion.",
"what evidence did they have?",
"had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.",
"how was he treated in prison?",
"his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture:",
"what did they do to him?",
"he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly.",
"was he subjected to any other mistreatment?",
"Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.",
"what was he charged with?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government.",
"what did the public think of his imprisonment?",
"Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation",
"did they have evidence against him?",
"professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence",
"did he give any interviews?",
"In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home",
"what did he speak about?",
"I don't know.",
"what is an interesting fact regarding his release?",
"Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is \"suspected of other crimes,\""
]
| C_2fd2e1cafae44deca81b0e5df98b3727_1 | what crimes? | 12 | what crimes is Ai Weiwei suspected of by the Chinese authorities after his release? | Ai Weiwei | On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (Chinese: Bei Jing Fa Ke Wen Hua Gong Si ), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: Jiu Si Yi Sheng ), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters. After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography. Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear. In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine. On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he is allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he is still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes," including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continues to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and may travel abroad. CANNOTANSWER | including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. | Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.
After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and, since 2021 in Portugal.
Life
Early life and work
Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.
In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei. The group disbanded in 1983, yet Ai participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).
Life in the United States
From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States. He was among the first generation of students to study abroad following China's reform in 1980, being one of the 161 students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in 1981. For the first few years, Ai lived in Philadelphia and San Francisco. He studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City. He studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986, where he studied with Bruce Dorfman, Knox Martin and Richard Pousette-Dart. He later dropped out of school and made a living out of drawing street portraits and working odd jobs. During this period, he gained exposure to the works of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, and began creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.
Ai befriended beat poet Allen Ginsberg while living in New York, following a chance meeting at a poetry reading where Ginsberg read out several poems about China. Ginsberg had traveled to China and met with Ai's father, the noted poet Ai Qing, and consequently Ginsberg and Ai became friends.
When he was living in the East Village (from 1983 to 1993), Ai carried a camera with him all the time and would take pictures of his surroundings wherever he was. The resulting collection of photos were later selected and is now known as the New York Photographs. At the same time, Ai became fascinated by blackjack card games and frequented Atlantic City casinos. He is still regarded in gambling circles as a top tier professional blackjack player according to an article published on blackjackchamp.com.
Return to China
In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. He helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and co-published a series of three books about this new generation of artists with Chinese curator Feng Boyi: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).
In 1999, Ai moved to Caochangdi, in the northeast of Beijing, and built a studio house – his first architectural project. Due to his interest in architecture, he founded the architecture studio FAKE Design, in 2003. In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition Fuck Off with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.
Life in Europe
In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery. He lived in the studio and used it as the base for his international work.
In 2019, he announced he would be leaving Berlin, saying that Germany is not an open culture. In September 2019, he moved to live in Cambridge, England.
As of 2021, Ai lives in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. He still maintains a base in Cambridge, where his son attends school, and a studio in Berlin. Ai says he will stay in Portugal long-term "unless something happens".
Ai sits on the Board of Advisors for the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK).
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
Internet activities
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to Twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. He wrote almost exclusively in Chinese using the account @aiww. As of 31 December 2013, Ai has declared that he would stop tweeting but the account remains active in forms of retweets and Instagram posts. In 2013, Dale Eisinger of Complex ranked Ai's blog as the fourth greatest work of performance art ever, with the writer arguing, "Much in the way early performance artists documented with film and video, Ai used the prevalent medium of his time—the web—to examine the increasingly fine line between public life and the artist's work. Ai here used his presence to create something full and tangible rather than just a symbolic representation of his critique."
Ai supported the Amnesty International petition for Iranian filmmaker Hossein Rajabian and his brother, musician Mehdi Rajabian, and released the news on his Twitter pages.
Citizens' investigation on Sichuan earthquake student casualties
Ten days after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province on 12 May 2008, Ai led a team to survey and film the post-quake conditions in various disaster zones. In response to the government's lack of transparency in revealing names of students who perished in the earthquake due to substandard school campus constructions, Ai recruited volunteers online and launched a "Citizens' Investigation" to compile names and information of the student victims. On 20 March 2009, he posted a blog titled "Citizens' Investigation" and wrote: "To remember the departed, to show concern for life, to take responsibility, and for the potential happiness of the survivors, we are initiating a 'Citizens' Investigation.' We will seek out the names of each departed child, and we will remember them."
As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names. Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which was shut down by Chinese authorities in May 2009. He also posted his list of names of schoolchildren who died on the wall of his office at FAKE Design in Beijing.
Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake. On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery. The cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.
According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".
Shanghai studio controversy
Ai was placed under house arrest in November 2010 by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.
The building was designed by Ai himself with assistance, and potency coming from a "high official [from Shanghai]" the new studio was a part of a new traditionally design by Shanghai Municipal jurisdiction. He was going to use it as a studio and mentor different architecture courses. After Ai was charged with constructing the studio without the required approval and the knockdown notice had been processed, Ai said officials had been anxious and the paperwork and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a few different artists were invited to create and structure new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a friendly environment.
Ai stated on 3 November 2010 that authorities had let him know him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal and did not meet the needs. Ai criticized that this was biased, stating that he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed". The Guardian reported Ai saying Shanghai municipal authorities were "upset " by documentaries on subjects they considered delicate—in particular a documentary featuring Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced separation for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo, and one focused on Yang Jia, who murdered six Shanghai police officers.
At the end of the term, the gathering took place without Ai. All of his fans had a river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was eventually released from house arrest the next day.
Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was stopped from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the higher ups wanted to stop him from attending a ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo. Ai said that he was never invited to the ceremony and was attempting to travel to South Korea where he had an important meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.
On 11 January 2011, Ai's studio was knocked down and destroyed in a surprise move by the government.
2011 arrest
On 3 April 2011, Ai was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport just before catching a flight to Hong Kong and his studio facilities were searched. A police contingent of approximately 50 officers came to his studio, threw a cordon around it and searched the premises. They took away laptops and the hard drive from the main computer; along with Ai, police also detained eight staff members and Ai's wife, Lu Qing. Police also visited the mother of Ai's two-year-old son. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was arrested under investigation for alleged economic crimes. Then, on 8 April, police returned to Ai's workshop to examine his financial affairs. On 9 April, Ai's accountant, as well as studio partner Liu Zhenggang and driver Zhang Jingsong, disappeared, while Ai's assistant Wen Tao has remained missing since Ai's arrest on 3 April. Ai's wife said that she was summoned by the Beijing Chaoyang district tax bureau, where she was interrogated about his studio's tax on 12 April. South China Morning Post reports that Ai received at least two visits from the police, the last being on 31 March – three days before his detention – apparently with offers of membership to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A staff member recalled that Ai had mentioned receiving the offer earlier, "[but Ai] didn't say if it was a membership of the CPPCC at the municipal or national level, how he responded or whether he accepted it or not."
On 24 February, amid an online campaign for Middle East-style protests in major Chinese cities by overseas dissidents, Ai posted on his Twitter account: "I didn't care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!"
Response to Ai's arrest
Analysts and other activists said Ai had been widely thought to be untouchable, but Nicholas Bequelin from Human Rights Watch suggested that his arrest, calculated to send the message that no one would be immune, must have had the approval of someone in the top leadership. International governments, human rights groups and art institutions, among others, called for Ai's release, while Chinese officials did not notify Ai's family of his whereabouts.
State media started describing Ai as a "deviant and a plagiarist" in early 2011. A Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times editorial on 6 April 2011 attacked Ai, and two days later, the journal scorned Western media for questioning Ai's charge as a "catch-all crime", and denounced the use of his political activism as a "legal shield" against everyday crimes. Frank Ching expressed in the South China Morning Post that how the Global Times could radically shift its position from one day to the next was reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
Michael Sheridan of The Times suggested that Ai had offered himself to the authorities on a platter with some of his provocative art, particularly photographs of himself nude with only a toy alpaca hiding his modesty – with a caption『草泥马挡中央』 ("grass mud horse covering the middle"). The term possesses a double meaning in Chinese: one possible interpretation was given by Sheridan as: "Fuck your mother, the party central committee".
Ming Pao in Hong Kong reacted strongly to the state media's character attack on Ai, saying that authorities had employed "a chain of actions outside the law, doing further damage to an already weak system of laws, and to the overall image of the country." Pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, Wen Wei Po, announced that Ai was under arrest for tax evasion, bigamy and spreading indecent images on the internet, and vilified him with multiple instances of strong rhetoric. Supporters said "the article should be seen as a mainland media commentary attacking Ai, rather than as an accurate account of the investigation."
The United States and European Union protested Ai's detention. The international arts community also mobilised petitions calling for the release of Ai: "1001 Chairs for Ai Weiwei" was organized by Creative Time of New York that calls for artists to bring chairs to Chinese embassies and consulates around the world on 17 April 2011, at 1 pm local time "to sit peacefully in support of the artist's immediate release."> Artists in Hong Kong, Germany and Taiwan demonstrated and called for Ai to be released.
One of the major protests by U.S. museums took place on 19 and 20 May when the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego organized a 24-hour silent protest in which volunteer participants, including community members, media, and museum staff, occupied two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. The 24-hour sit-in referenced Ai's sculpture series, Marble Chair, two of which were on view and were subsequently acquired for the Museum's permanent collection.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the International Council of Museums, which organised petitions, said they had collected more than 90,000 signatures calling for the release of Ai. On 13 April 2011, a group of European intellectuals led by Václav Havel had issued an open letter to Wen Jiabao, condemning the arrest and demanding the immediate release of Ai. The signatories include Ivan Klíma, Jiří Gruša, Jáchym Topol, Elfriede Jelinek, Adam Michnik, Adam Zagajewski, Helmuth Frauendorfer; Bei Ling (Chinese:贝岭), a Chinese poet in exile drafted and also signed the open letter.
On 16 May 2011, the Chinese authorities allowed Ai's wife to visit him briefly. Liu Xiaoyuan, his attorney and personal friend, reported that Wei was in good physical condition and receiving treatment for his chronic diabetes and hypertension; he was not in a prison or hospital but under some form of house arrest.
He is the subject of the 2012 documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by American filmmaker Alison Klayman, which received a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest documentary festival, in Toronto on 26 April 2012.
Release
On 22 June 2011, the Chinese authorities released Ai from jail after almost three months' detention on charges of tax evasion. Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. (), a company Ai controlled, had allegedly evaded taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. State media also reports that Ai was granted bail on account of Ai's "good attitude in confessing his crimes", willingness to pay back taxes, and his chronic illnesses. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he was prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. Ai's supporters widely viewed his detention as retaliation for his vocal criticism of the government. On 23 June 2011, professor Wang Yujin of China University of Political Science and Law stated that the release of Ai on bail shows that the Chinese government could not find any solid evidence of Ai's alleged "economic crime". On 24 June 2011, Ai told a Radio Free Asia reporter that he was thankful for the support of the Hong Kong public, and praised Hong Kong's conscious society. Ai also mentioned that his detention by the Chinese regime was hellish (Chinese: 九死一生), and stressed that he is forbidden to say too much to reporters.
After his release, his sister gave some details about his detention condition to the press, explaining that he was subjected to a kind of psychological torture: he was detained in a tiny room with constant light, and two guards were set very close to him at all times, and watched him constantly. In November, Chinese authorities were again investigating Ai and his associates, this time under the charge of spreading pornography.
Lu was subsequently questioned by police, and released after several hours though the exact charges remain unclear.
In January 2012, in its International Review issue Art in America magazine featured an interview with Ai Weiwei at his home in China. J.J. Camille (the pen name of a Chinese-born writer living in New York), "neither a journalist nor an activist but simply an art lover who wanted to talk to him" had travelled to Beijing the previous September to conduct the interview and to write about his visit to "China's most famous dissident artist" for the magazine.
On 21 June 2012, Ai's bail was lifted. Although he was allowed to leave Beijing, the police informed him that he was still prohibited from traveling to other countries because he is "suspected of other crimes", including pornography, bigamy and illicit exchange of foreign currency. Until 2015, he remained under heavy surveillance and restrictions of movement, but continued to criticize through his work. In July 2015, he was given a passport and permitted to travel abroad.
Ai says that at the beginning of his detention he was proud of being detained much like his father had been earlier. He also says it allowed him to try a dialogue with the authorities, something which had never been possible before.
Tax case
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
Offers of donations poured in from Ai's fans across the world when the fine was announced. Eventually, an online loan campaign was initiated on 4 November 2011, and close to 9 million RMB was collected within ten days, from 30,000 contributions. Notes were folded into paper planes and thrown over the studio walls, and donations were made in symbolic amounts such as 8964 (4 June 1989, Tiananmen Massacre) or 512 (12 May 2008, Sichuan earthquake). To thank creditors and acknowledge the contributions as loans, Ai designed and issued loan receipts to all who participated in the campaign. Funds raised from the campaign were used as collateral, required by law for an appeal on the tax case. Lawyers acting for Ai submitted an appeal against the fine in January 2012; the Chinese government subsequently agreed to conduct a review.
In June 2012, the court heard the tax appeal case. Ai's wife, Lu Qing, the legal representative of the design company, attended the hearing. Lu was accompanied by several lawyers and an accountant, but the witnesses they had requested to testify, including Ai, were prevented from attending a court hearing. Ai asserts that the entire matter – including the 81 days he spent in jail in 2011 – is intended to suppress his provocations. Ai said he had no illusions as to how the case would turn out, as he believes the court will protect the government's own interests. On 20 June, hundreds of Ai's supporters gathered outside the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing despite a small army of police officers, some of whom videotaped the crowd and led several people away. On 20 July, Ai's tax appeal was rejected in court. The same day Ai's studio released "The Fake Case" which tracks the status and history of this case including a timeline and the release of official documents. On 27 September, the court upheld the tax evasion fine. Ai had previously deposited in a government-controlled account in order to appeal. Ai said he will not pay the remainder because he does not recognize the charge.
In October 2012, authorities revoked the license of Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. for failing to re-register, an annual requirement by the administration. The company was not able to complete this procedure as its materials and stamps were confiscated by the government.
"15 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA)" – Power Station of Art, Shanghai, 2014
On 26 April 2014, Ai's name was removed from a group show taking place at the Shanghai Power Station of Art. The exhibition was held to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the art prize created by Uli Sigg in 1998, with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese contemporary art. Ai won the Lifetime Contribution Award in 2008 and was part of the jury during the first three editions of the prize. He was then invited to take part in the group show together with the other selected Chinese artists. Shortly before the exhibition's opening, some museum workers removed his name from the list of winners and jury members painted on a wall. Also, Ai's works Sunflower Seeds and Stools were removed from the show and kept in a museum office (see photo on Ai Weiwei's Instagram). Sigg declared that it was not his decision and that it was a decision of the Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture.
"Hans van Dijk: 5000 Names – UCCA"
In May 2014, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, a non-profit art center situated in the 798 art district of Beijing, held a retrospective exhibition in honor of the late curator and scholar, Hans Van Dijk. Ai, a good friend of Hans and a fellow co-founder of the China Art Archives and Warehouse (CAAW), participated in the exhibition with three artworks. On the day of the opening, Ai realized his name was omitted from both Chinese and English versions of the exhibition's press release. Ai's assistants went to the art center and removed his works. It is Ai's belief that, in omitting his name, the museum altered the historical record of van Dijk's work with him. Ai started his own research about what actually happened, and between 23 and 25 May he interviewed the UCCA's director, Philip Tinari, the guest curator of the exhibition, Marianne Brouwer, and the UCCA chief, Xue Mei. He published the transcripts of the interviews on Instagram. In one of the interviews, the CEO of the UCCA, Xue Mei, admitted that, due to the sensitive time of the exhibition, Ai's name was taken out of the press releases on the day of the opening and it was supposed to be restored afterwards. This was to avoid problems with the Chinese authorities, who threatened to arrest her.
Support for Julian Assange
Ai has long advocated for the release of Julian Assange. In 2016, he co-signed a letter which stated that the UK and Sweden were undermining the UN by ignoring the findings of a UN working group that found Assange was being arbitrarily detained. The letter called on the UK and Sweden to guarantee Assange's freedom of movement and provide compensation. Ai visited Assange in high security Belmarsh Prison after his arrest by the UK. In September 2019, Ai held a silent protest in support of Assange outside London's Old Bailey court where Assange's extradition hearing was being held. Ai called for Assange's freedom and said "He truly represents the very core value of why we are fighting, the freedom of the press".
In 2021, Ai was invited to submit a piece for the virtual UK art exhibition The Great Big Art Exhibition, which was organised by Firstsite. Ai's piece, called Postcard for Political Prisoners, incorporated a photograph of the running machine used by Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. After initially accepting Ai's idea, Firstsite's director said that it could not include his project "due to time constraints, and because it did not fit with the concept of the exhibition". Ai said he thought the reason for the rejection was that the exhibition did not "want to touch on a topic like Assange".
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Documentaries
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urban infrastructure and its social conditions.
Beijing 2003
2003, Video, 150 hours
Beginning under the Dabeiyao highway interchange, the vehicle from which Beijing 2003 was shot traveled every road within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing and documented the road conditions. Approximately 2400 kilometers and 150 hours of footage later, it ended where it began under the Dabeiyao highway interchange. The documentation of these winding alleyways of the city center – now largely torn down for redevelopment – preserved a visual record of the city that is free of aesthetic judgment.
Chang'an Boulevard
2004, Video, 10h 13m
Moving from east to west, Chang'an Boulevard traverses Beijing's most iconic avenue. Along the boulevard's 45-kilometer length, it recorded the changing densities of its far-flung suburbs, central business districts, and political core. At each 50-meter increment, the artist records a single frame for one minute. The work reveals the rhythm of Beijing as a capital city, its social structure, cityscape, socialist-planned economy, capitalist market, political power center, commercial buildings, and industrial units as pieces of a multi-layered urban collage.
Beijing: The Second Ring
2005, Video, 1h 6m
Beijing: The Third Ring
2005 Video, 1h 50m
Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring capture two opposite views of traffic flow on every bridge of each Ring Road, the innermost arterial highways of Beijing. The artist records a single frame for one minute for each view on the bridge. Beijing: The Second Ring was entirely shot on cloudy days, while the segments for Beijing: The Third Ring were entirely shot on sunny days. The films document the historic aspects and modern development of a city with a population of nearly 11 million people.
Fairytale
2007, video, 2h 32m
Fairytale covers Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale, part of Europe's most innovative five-year art event Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany in 2007. Ai invited 1001 Chinese citizens of different ages and from various backgrounds to travel to Kassel, Germany to experience a fairytale of their own.
The 152-minute long film documents the ideation and process of staging Fairytale and covering project preparations, participants' challenges, and travel to Germany.
Along with this documentary, Fairytale was documented through written materials and photographs of participants and artifacts from the event.
Fairytale was an act of social subversion, improving relationships between China and the West through interactions among participants and the citizens of Kassel. Ai Weiwei felt that he was able to make a positive influence on both participants of Fairytale and Kassel citizens.
Little Girl's Cheeks
2008, video, 1h 18m
On 15 December 2008, a citizens' investigation began with the goal of seeking an explanation for the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake that happened on 12 May 2008. The investigation covered 14 counties and 74 townships within the disaster zone, and studied the conditions of 153 schools that were affected by the earthquake.
By gathering and confirming comprehensive details about the students, such as their age, region, school, and grade, the group managed to affirm that there were 5,192 students who perished in the disaster.
Among a hundred volunteers, 38 of them participated in fieldwork, with 25 of them being controlled by the Sichuan police for a total of 45 times.
This documentary is a structural element of the citizens' investigation.
4851
2009, looped video, 1h 27m
At 14:28 on 12 May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake happened in Sichuan, China. Over 5,000 students in primary and secondary schools perished in the earthquake, yet their names went unannounced. In reaction to the government's lack of transparency, a citizen's investigation was initiated to find out their names and details about their schools and families.
As of 2 September 2009, there were 4,851 confirmed. This video is a tribute to these perished students and a memorial for innocent lives lost.
A Beautiful Life
2009, video, 48m
This video documents the story of Chinese citizen Feng Zhenghu and his struggles to return home.
In 2009, authorities in Shanghai prevented Feng Zhenghu, who was originally from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, from returning home a total of eight times that year. On 4 November 2009 Feng Zhenghu attempted to return home for the ninth time but instead Chinese police forcibly put him on a flight to Japan. Upon arrival at Narita Airport outside of Tokyo, Feng refused to enter Japan and decided to live in the Immigration Hall at Terminal 1, as an act of protest. He relied on gifts of food from tourists for sustenance and lived in a passageway in the Narita Airport for 92 days. He posted updates over Twitter which attracted international media coverage and concern from Chinese netizens and international communities.
On 31 January, Feng announced an end to his protest at the Narita Airport. On 12 February Feng was allowed to re-enter China, where he reunited with his family at their home in Shanghai.
Ai Weiwei and his assistant Gao Yuan, went from Beijing to interview Feng Zhenghu three times at Narita Airport, on 16 November, 20 November 2009 and 31 January 2010 and documented his stay in the airport passageway and the entire process of his return to China.
Disturbing the Peace (Laoma Tihua)
2009, video, 1h 19m
Ai Weiwei studio production Laoma Tihua is a documentary of an incident during Tan Zuoren's trial on 12 August 2009. Tan Zuoren was charged with "inciting subversion of state power". Chengdu police detained witnessed during the trial of the civil rights advocate, which is an obstruction of justice and violence.
Tan Zuoren was charged as a result of his research and questioning regarding the 5.12 Wenchuan students' casualties and the corruption resulting poor building construction. Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years of prison.
One Recluse
2010, video, 3h
In June 2008, Yang Jia carried a knife, a hammer, a gas mask, pepper spray, gloves and Molotov cocktails to the Zhabei Public Security Branch Bureau and killed six police officers, injuring another police officer and a guard. He was arrested on the scene, and was subsequently charged with intentional homicide. In the following six months, while Yang Jia was detained and trials were held, his mother has mysteriously disappeared.
This video is a documentary that traces the reasons and motivations behind the tragedy and investigates into a trial process filled with shady cover-ups and questionable decisions. The film provides a glimpse into the realities of a government-controlled judicial system and its impact on the citizens' lives.
Hua Hao Yue Yuan
2010, video, 2h 6m
"The future dictionary definition of 'crackdown' will be: First cover one's head up firmly, and then beat him or her up violently". – @aiww
In the summer of 2010, the Chinese government began a crackdown on dissent, and Hua Hao Yue Yuan documents the stories of Liu Dejun and Liu Shasha, whose activism and outspoken attitude led them to violent abuse from the authorities. On separate occasions, they were kidnapped, beaten and thrown into remote locations. The incidents attracted much concern over the Internet, as well as wide speculation and theories about what exactly happened. This documentary presents interviews of the two victims, witnesses and concerned netizens. In which it gathers various perspectives about the two beatings, and brings us closer to the brutal reality of China's "crackdown on crime".
Remembrance
2010, voice recording, 3h 41m
On 24 April 2010 at 00:51, Ai Weiwei (@aiww) started a Twitter campaign to commemorate students who perished in the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May 2008. 3,444 friends from the Internet delivered voice recordings, the names of 5,205 perished were recited 12,140 times.
Remembrance is an audio work dedicated to the young people who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. It expresses thoughts for the passing of innocent lives and indignation for the cover-ups on truths about sub-standard architecture, which led to the large number of schools that collapsed during the earthquake.
San Hua
2010, video, 1h 8m
The shooting and editing of this video lasted nearly seven months at the Ai Weiwei studio. It began near the end of 2007 in an interception organized by cat-saving volunteers in Tianjin, and the film locations included Tianjin, Shanghai, Rugao of Jiangsu, Chaoshan of Guangzhou, and Hebei Province. The documentary depicts a complete picture of a chain in the cat-trading industry.
Since the end of 2009 when the government began soliciting expert opinion for the Animal Protection Act, the focus of public debate has always been on whether one should be eating cats or not, or whether cat-eating is a Chinese tradition or not. There are even people who would go as far as to say that the call to stop eating cat meat is "imposing the will of the minority on the majority". Yet the "majority" does not understand the complete truth of cat-meat trading chains: cat theft, cat trafficking, killing cats, selling cats, and eating cats, all the various stages of the trade and how they are distributed across the country, in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Rugao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Hebei.
Ordos 100
2011, video, 1h 1m
This documentary is about the construction project curated by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. One hundred architects from 27 countries were chosen to participate and design a 1000 square meter villa to be built in a new community in Inner Mongolia. The 100 villas would be designed to fit a master plan designed by Ai Weiwei. On 25 January 2008, the 100 architects gathered in Ordos for a first site visit. The film Ordos 100 documents the total of three site visits to Ordos, during which time the master plan and design of each villa was completed. As of 2016, the Ordos 100 project remains unrealized.
So Sorry
2011, video, 54m
As a sequel to Ai Weiwei's film Lao Ma Ti Hua, the film so sorry (named after the artist's 2009 exhibition in Munich, Germany) shows the beginnings of the tension between Ai Weiwei and the Chinese Government. In Lao Ma Ti Hua, Ai Weiwei travels to Chengdu, Sichuan to attend the trial of the civil rights advocate Tan Zuoren, as a witness. So Sorry shows the investigation led by Ai Weiwei studio to identify the students who died during the Sichuan earthquake as a result of corruption and poor building constructions leading to the confrontation between Ai Weiwei and the Chengdu police. After being beaten by the police, Ai Weiwei traveled to Munich, Germany to prepare his exhibition at the museum Haus der Kunst. The result of his beating led to intense headaches caused by a brain hemorrhage and was treated by emergency surgery. These events mark the beginning of Ai Weiwei's struggle and surveillance at the hands of the state police.
Ping'an Yueqing
2011, video, 2h 22m
This documentary investigates the death of popular Zhaiqiao village leader Qian Yunhui in the fishing village of Yueqing, Zhejiang province. When the local government confiscated marshlands in order to convert them into construction land, the villagers were deprived of the opportunity to cultivate these lands and be fully self-subsistent. Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010.
During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
The Crab House
2011, video, 1h 1m
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
Stay Home
2013, video, 1h 17m
This video tells the story of Liu Ximei, who at her birth in 1985 was given to relatives to be raised because she was born in violation of China's strict one-child policy. When she was ten years old, Liu was severely injured while working in the fields and lost large amounts of blood. While undergoing treatment at a local hospital, she was given a blood transfusion that was later revealed to be contaminated with HIV. Following this exposure to the virus, Liu contracted AIDS. According to official statistics, in 2001 there were 850,000 AIDS sufferers in China, many of whom contracted the illness in the 1980s and 1990s as the result of a widespread plasma market operating in rural, impoverished areas and using unsafe collection methods.
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50
2014, video, 2h 8m
Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 opens with Ai Weiwei's mother at the Venice Biennial in the summer of 2013 examining Ai's large S.A.C.R.E.D. installation portraying his 81-day imprisonment. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the Beijing airport in April 2011 to his final court appeal in September 2012. The film portrays the day-to-day activity surrounding Ai Weiwei, his family and his associates ranging from consistent visits by the authorities, interviews with reporters, support and donations from fans, and court dates. The Film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on 23 January 2014.
Fukushima Art Project
2015, video, 30m
This documentary on the Fukushima Art Project is about artist Ai Weiwei's investigation of the site as well as the project's installation process. In August 2014, Ai Weiwei was invited as one of the participating artists for the Fukushima Nuclear Zone by the Japanese art coalition Chim↑Pom, as part of the project Don't Follow the Wind. Ai accepted the invitation and sent his assistant Ma Yan to the exclusion zone in Japan to investigate the site. The Fukushima Exclusion Zone is thus far located within the 20-kilometer radius of land area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 25,000 people have already been evacuated from the Exclusion Zone. Both water and electric circuits were cut off. Entrance restriction is expected to be relieved in the next thirty years, or even longer. The art project will also be open to public at that time. The three spots usable as exhibition spaces by the artists are all former residential houses, among which exhibition sites one and two were used for working and lodging; and exhibition site three was used as a community entertainment facility with an ostrich farm.
Ai brought about two projects, A Ray of Hope and Family Album after analyzing materials and information generated from the site.
In A Ray of Hope, a solar photovoltaic system is built on exhibition site one, on the second level of the old warehouse. Integral LED lighting devices are used in the two rooms. The lights would turn on automatically from 7 to 10pm, and from 6 to 8am daily. This lighting system is the only light source in the Exclusion Zone after this project was installed.
Photos of Ai and his studio staff at Caochangdi that make up project Family Album are displayed on exhibition site two and three, in the seven rooms where locals used to live. The twenty-two selected photos are divided in five categories according to types of events spanning eight years. Among these photos, six of them were taken from the site investigation at the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; two were taken during the time when he was illegally detained after pleading the Tan Zuoren case in Chengdu, China in August 2009; and three others taken during his surgical treatment for his head injury from being attacked in the head by police officers in Chengdu; five taken of him being followed by the police and his Beijing studio Fake Design under surveillance due to the studio tax case from 2011 to 2012; four are photos of Ai Weiwei and his family from year 2011 to year 2013; and the other two were taken earlier of him in his studio in Caochangdi (One taken in 2005 and the other in 2006).
Human Flow
A feature documentary directed by Weiwei and co-produced by Andy Cohen about the global refugee crisis.
Coronation
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing the film Weiwei claimed "it's obvious the disease is not from an animal. It's not a natural disease, it's something that's leaked out, after years of research."
Visual arts
Ai's visual art includes sculptural installations, woodworking, video and photography. "Ai Weiwei: According to What", adapted and expanded by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from a 2009 exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, was Ai's first North American museum retrospective. It opened at the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C. in 2013, and subsequently traveled to the Brooklyn Museum, New York,
and two other venues. His works address his investigation into the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and responses to the Chinese government's detention and surveillance of him. His recent public pieces have called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
(1995) Performance in which Ai lets an ancient ceramic urn fall from his hands and smash to pieces on the ground. The performance was memorialized in a series of three photographic still frames.
Map of China
(2008) Sculpture resembling a park bench or tree trunk, but its cross-section is a map of China. It is four metres long and weighs 635 kilograms. It is made from wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples.
Table with two legs on the wall
(2008) Ming dynasty table cut in half and rejoined at a right angle to rest two feet on the wall and two on the floor. The reconstruction was completed using Chinese period specific joinery techniques.
Straight
(2008–2012) 150 tons of twisted steel reinforcements recovered from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake building collapse sites were straightened out and displayed as an installation.
Sunflower Seeds
(2010) Opening in October 2010 at the Tate Modern in London, Ai displayed 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. The work as installed was called 1-125,000,000 and subsequent installations have been titled Sunflower Seeds. The initial installation had the seeds spread across the floor of the Turbine Hall in a thin 10 cm layer. The seeds weigh about 10 metric tonnes and were made by artisans over two and a half years by 1,600 Jingdezhen artisans in a city where porcelain had been made for over a thousand years. The sculpture refers to chairman Mao's rule and the Chinese Communist Party. The mass of tiny seeds represents that, together, the people of China can stand up and overthrow the Chinese Communist Party. The seeds also refer to China's current mass automated production based on Western style the consumerist culture. The sculpture challenges the "Made in China" mantra, memorialising labour-intensive traditional methods of craft objects.
Surveillance Camera
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world. WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
He Xie/Crab
(2010) Sculptures of a large amount of crabs.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
(2011) Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads are sculptures of zodiac animals inspired by the water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace.
Belongings of Ye Haiyan
(2013) Ye Haiyan's (叶海燕) Belongings is a collaborative piece between Ai Weiwei and Ye Haiyan. Ye, also referred to as "Hooligan Sparrow", is an activist for women's rights and sex worker's rights. After consistent surveillance and harassment for her outspoken activism as chronicled in Nanfu Wang's documentary Hooligan Sparrow, Haiyan and her daughter were met with multiple evictions in various cities and ultimately ended up on the side of the road with all of their belongings and no place to go. Ai Weiwei was able to help them financially and included this piece in his exhibition "According to What?". The display consists of four walls which display pictures of Haiyan, her daughter, and their life's belongings that they packed quickly prior to their first eviction. In the center, Ai recreated their belongings before they were confiscated. The whole arrangement demonstrates the realities of publicly speaking out against injustices in China.
Coca-Cola Vase
(2014) Han dynasty vase with the Coca-Cola logo brushed on in red acrylic paint.
Grapes
(2014) 32 Qing dynasty stools joined together in a cluster with legs pointing out.
Free-speech Puzzle
(2014) Individual porcelain ornaments, each painted with characters for "free speech", which when set together form a map of China.
Trace
(2014) Consisting of 176 2D-portraits in Lego which are set onto a large floor space, Trace was commissioned by the FOR-SITE Foundation, the United States National Park Service and the Golden Gate Park Conservancy. The original installation was at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay; the 176 portraits being of various political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. After seeing one million visitors during its one-year display at Alcatraz, the installation was moved and put on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. (in a modified form; the pieces had to be arranged to fit the circular floor space). The display at the Hirshhorn ran from 28 June 2017 – 1 January 2018. The display also included two versions of his wallpaper work The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca and a video running on a loop.
The 2019 documentary film Your Truly covered the creation of Trace and an associated exhibit, Yours Truly, also at Alcatraz, where visitors could write postcards to be sent to selected political prisoners.
Law of the Journey
(2017) As the culmination of Ai's experiences visiting 40 refugee camps in 2016, Law of the Journey featured an all-black, inflatable boat carrying 258 faceless refugee figures. The art piece is currently on display at the National Gallery in Prague until 7 January 2018.
Two Iron Trees at The Shrine of Book
(2017) Permanent exhibit, unique setting of two Iron Trees from now on frame the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, Israel where Dead Sea Scrolls are preserved.
Journey of Laziz
(2017) The exhibition was on the view in the Israel Museum until the end of October 2017. Journey of Laziz is a video installation, showing mental breakdown and overall suffering of tiger living in the "world's worst ZOO" in Gaza.
Hansel and Gretel
(2017) The exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory from 7 June- 6 August 2017, Hansel and Gretel was an installation exploring the theme of surveillance. The project, a collaboration of Ai Weiwei and architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, features surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition software, near-infrared floor projections, tethered, autonomous drones and sonar beacons. A companion website includes a curatorial statement, artist biographies, a livestream of the installation and a timeline of surveillance technology from ancient to modern times.
The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca
(2017) The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, and its companion piece The Plain Version of The Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca, is a wallpaper work consisting of intricate tiled patterns showing various pieces of surveillance equipment in whimsical arrangements. The two pieces were installed at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of a full-floor exhibition of his work that also included a video and the 2014 installation Trace.
man in a cube
(2017) Ai Weiwei created the sculpture man in a cube for the exhibition Luther and the Avantgarde in Wittenberg to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation. In it, the artist worked through his experiences of anxiety and isolation following his arrest by Chinese authorities: "My work is physically a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011." Concentrating on ideas and language helped Ai Weiwei endure his imprisonment. He was also intrigued by the connectedness of freedom, language and ideas in Martin Luther, to whom he explicitly paid tribute with man in a cube.
Once the exhibition in Wittenberg closed, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach endeavored to make this exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration, man in a cube, permanently accessible to a wide audience. Thanks to the generous support of numerous backers, the museum managed to acquire the sculpture in 2019. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus and presented to the public in a ceremony the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther's treatise On the Freedom of a Christian.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei's 2017–18 New York City-wide public art exhibition.
Forever Bicycles
Forever Bicycles is a sculpture made of many interconnected bicycles. The sculpture was installed as 1,300 bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2017. The sculpture was moved to The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and reassembled as 1,254 bicycles in 2019.
The sculpture's bicycles are made to resemble the Shanghai Forever Co. bicycles that were financially out of reach for the artist's family during his youth.
Forever
A sculpture of many bicycles is displayed as public art in the gardens of the Artz Pedregal shopping mall in Mexico City since its opening in March 2018.
Priceless
A collaboration with conceptual artist Kevin Abosch primarily made up of two standard ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, called PRICELESS (PRCLS is its symbol). One of these tokens is forever unavailable to anyone, but the other is meant for distribution and is divisible up to 18 decimal places, meaning it can be given away one quintillionth at a time. A nominal amount of the distributable token was "burned" (put into digital wallets with the keys thrown away), and these wallet addresses were printed on paper and sold to art buyers in a series of 12 physical works. Each wallet address alphanumeric is a proxy for a shared moment between Abosch and Ai.
Er Xi
A monstrous sculptures at Le Bon Marché in Paris to "speak to our inner child". Artist Ai Weiwei has used traditional Chinese kite-making techniques to create mythological characters and creatures for windows, atriums and the gallery at Paris department store Le Bon Marché (+ slideshow). Er Xi opened on 16 January 2016 until 20 February 2016 at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, located on Rue de Sèvres in Paris' 7th arrondissement.
Architecture
Ai Weiwei is also a notable architect known for his collaborations with Herzog & de Meuron and Wang Shu. In 2005, Ai was invited by Wang Shu as an external teacher of the Architecture Department of China Academy of Art.
Jinhua Park
In 2002, he was the curator of the project Jinhua Architecture Park.
Tsai Residence
In 2006, Ai and HHF Architects designed a private residence in upstate New York. According to The New York Times, the Tsai Residence is divided into four modules and the details are "extraordinarily refined". In 2009, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design selected the home for its International Architecture Awards, one of the world's most prestigious global awards for new architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning. In 2010, Wallpaper* magazine nominated the residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House. A detached guesthouse, also designed by Ai and HHF Architects, was completed after the main house and, according to New York Magazine, looks like a "floating boomerang of rusty Cor-Ten steel".
Ordos 100
In 2008, Ai curated the architecture project Ordos 100 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. He invited 100 architects from 29 countries to participate in this project.
Beijing National Stadium
Ai was commissioned as the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest". Although ignored by the Chinese media, he had voiced his anti-Olympics views. He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste. In August 2007, he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment." In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics. When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest in the first place, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."
Serpentine Pavilion
In summer 2012, Ai teamed again with Herzog & de Meuron on a "would-be archaeological site [as] a game of make-believe and fleeting memory" as the year's temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens.
Books
Venice Elegy
This edition of Yang Lian's poems and Ai Weiwei's visual images was realized by the publishing house Damocle Edizioni – Venice in 200 numbered copies on Fabriano Paper. The book was printed in Venice, May 2018. Every book is hand signed by Yang Lian and Ai Weiwei.
Traces of Survival
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows
Released in November 2021, 1000 Years is a memoir that documents the life of Ai Weiwei with a focus on his father, the renowned Chinese poet, Ai Qing. The book begins by documenting AI Weiwei's relationship with his father and the parallels between their lives and struggles before describing Ai's success as an artist and his constant struggle with the Chinese authorities over censorship and personal freedoms.
Music
On 24 October 2012, Ai went live with a cover of Gangnam Style, the famous K-pop phenomenon by South Korean rapper PSY, through the posting of a four-minute long parody video on YouTube. The video was an attempt to criticize the Chinese government's attempt to silence his activism and was quickly blocked by national authorities.
On 22 May 2013, Ai debuted his first single Dumbass over the internet, with a music video shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. The video was a reconstruction of Ai's experience in prison, during his 81-day detention, and dives in and out of the prison's reality and the guarding soldiers' fantasies. He later released a second single, Laoma Tihua, on 20 June 2013 along with a video on his experience of state surveillance, with footage compiled from his studio's documentaries. On 22 June 2013, the two-year anniversary of Ai's release, he released his first music album The Divine Comedy. Later in August, he released a third music video for the song Chaoyang Park, also included in the album.
Other engagements
Ai is the Artistic Director of China Art Archives & Warehouse (CAAW), which he co-founded in 1997. This contemporary art archive and experimental gallery in Beijing concentrates on experimental art from the People's Republic of China, initiates and facilitates exhibitions and other forms of introductions inside and outside China. The building which houses it was designed by Ai in 2000.
On 15 March 2010, Ai took part in Digital Activism in China, a discussion hosted by The Paley Media Center in New York with Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter) and Richard MacManus. Also in 2010 he served as jury member for Future Generation Art Prize, Kiev, Ukraine; contributed design for Comme de Garcons Aoyama Store, Tokyo, Japan; and participated in a talk with Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller at the International Culture festival Litcologne in Cologne, Germany.
In 2011, Ai sat on the jury of an international initiative to find a universal Logo for Human Rights. The winning design, combining the silhouette of a hand with that of a bird, was chosen from more than 15,300 suggestions from over 190 countries. The initiative's goal was to create an internationally recognized logo to support the global human rights movement.[98] In 2013, after the existence of the PRISM surveillance program was revealed, Ai said "Even though we know governments do all kinds of things I was shocked by the information about the US surveillance operation, Prism. To me, it's abusively using government powers to interfere in individuals' privacy. This is an important moment for international society to reconsider and protect individual rights."[99]
In 2012, Ai interviewed a member of the 50 Cent Party, a group of "online commentators" (otherwise known as sockpuppets) covertly hired by the Chinese government to post "comments favourable towards party policies and [intending] to shape public opinion on internet message boards and forums". Keeping Ai's source anonymous, the transcript was published by the British magazine New Statesman on 17 October 2012, offering insights on the education, life, methods and tactics used by professional trolls serving pro-government interests.
Ai designed the cover for 17 June 2013 issue of Time magazine. The cover story, by Hannah Beech, is "How China Sees the World". Time magazine called it "the most beautiful cover we've ever done in our history."
In 2011, Ai served as co-director and curator of the 2011 Gwangju Design Biennale, and co-curator of the exhibition Shanshui at The Museum of Art Lucerne. Also in 2011, Ai spoke at TED (conference) and was a guest lecturer at Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
In 2013, Ai became a Reporters Without Borders ambassador. He also gave a hundred pictures to the NGO in order to release a Photo book and a digital album, both sold in order to fund freedom of information projects.
In 2014–2015, Ai explored human rights and freedom of expression through an exhibition of his art exclusively created for Alcatraz, a notorious federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Ai's @Large exhibit raised questions and contradictions about human rights and the freedom of expression through his artwork at the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress.
In February 2016, Ai WeiWei attached 14,000 bright orange life jackets to the columns of the Konzerthaus in Berlin. The life jackets had been discarded by refugees arriving on the shore on the Greek island of Lesbos. Later that year, he installed a different piece, also using discarded life jackets, at the pond at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
In 2017, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei are among the six artists that have designed covers for ES Magazine celebrating the "resilience of London" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and recent terror attacks.
In September 2019, the newly expanded and renovated Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis opened with a major exhibition of work by Ai Weiwei: "Bare Life".
In October 2020, on Halloween night, Ai Weiwei was invited by Josef O'Connor to set a new world record on London's Piccadilly Lights screen with the presentation of his film 'CIRCA 20:20' becoming the longest-ever single piece of content to be displayed on the giant illuminated billboard. Ai Weiwei's film ran for just over an hour, pausing the regular advertisements at 20:20, joining together the 30 parts of his month-long CIRCA residency. Ai Weiwei was the first artist to collaborate with the digital art platform which pauses the advertisements across a global network of billboard screens in London, Tokyo and Seoul for three-minutes every evening. The artist was quoted as saying in an interview with The Art Newspaper that "CIRCA 20:20 offers a very important platform for artists to exercise their practice and to reach out to a greater public".
Awards and honors
2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
2010
In March 2010, Ai received an honorary doctorate degree from the Faculty of Politics and Social Science, University of Ghent, Belgium.
In September 2010, Ai received Das Glas der Vernunft (The Prism of Reason), Kassel Citizen Award, Kassel, Germany.
Ai was ranked 13th in ArtReviews guide to the 100 most powerful figures in contemporary art: Power 100, 2010. In 2010, he was also awarded a Wallpaper Design Award for the Tsai Residence, which won Best New Private House.
Asteroid 83598 Aiweiwei, discovered by Bill Yeung in 2001, was named in his honor. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 November 2010 ().
2011
On 20 April 2011, Ai was appointed visiting professor of the Berlin University of the Arts.
In October 2011, when ArtReview magazine named Ai number one in their annual Power 100 list, the decision was criticized by the Chinese authorities. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin responded, "China has many artists who have sufficient ability. We feel that a selection that is based purely on a political bias and perspective has violated the objectives of the magazine".
In December 2011, Ai was one of four runners-up in Times Person of the Year award. Other awards included: Wall Street Journal Innovators Award (Art); Foreign Policy Top Global Thinkers of 2011, rank 18; the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation Award for Courage; ArtReview Power 100, rank 1; membership at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, Germany; the 2011 Time 100; the Wallpaper* 150; honorary academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; and Skowhegan Medal for Multidisciplinary Art, New York City, US.
2012
Along with Saudi Arabian women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, Ai received the inaugural Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent of the Human Rights Foundation on 2 May 2012. Ai was also awarded an honorary degree from Pratt Institute, honorary fellowship from Royal Institute of British Architects, elected as foreign member of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and recipient of the International Center of Photography Cornell Capa Award. Ai was ranked 3rd in ArtReviews Power 100. He was one of 12 visionaries honoured by Condé Nast Traveler, along with Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela.
2013
In April, Ai received the Appraisers Association Award for Excellence in the Arts. Fast Company has listed him among its 2013 list of 100 Most Creative People in Business. His guest-edit in the 18 October issue of New Statesman has won an Amnesty Media Award in June 2013. He has received the St. Moritz Art Masters Lifetime Achievement Award by Cartier in August. His documentary Ping'an Yueqing (2012) has won the Spirit of Independence award at the Beijing Independent Film Festival. He was ranked no.9 in ArtReview Power 100. He received an honorary doctorate in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, US.
2015
On 21 May 2015, Ai, along with the folk singer Joan Baez, received Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award, in Berlin, for showing exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through his life and work. The artist, who was at the time under surveillance and forbidden from leaving China, could not take part in the ceremony. His son Ai Lao accepted the prize on behalf of his father, called on the stage by Tate Modern director, Chris Dercon, who also spoke on behalf of the Chinese activist. Chris Dercon, who received the award on behalf of Ai Weiwei, said that Ai Weiwei wanted to pay tribute to those people in worse conditions than him, including civil rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang who faces eight years in prison, imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize-winning poet Liu Xiaobo, journalist Gao Yu, women's rights activist Su Changlan, activist Liu Ping and academic Ilham Tohti.
2018
In 2018, Ai Weiwei received Marina Kellen French Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award granted by the Americans for the Arts.
See also
WeiweiCam
Notes
References
Further reading
Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015
The Huffington Post, Excessivism: Irony, *Imbalance and a New Rococo, by Shana Nys Dambrot, art critic, curator, 23 September 2015
Spalding, David. @large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, 2014. Print. @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
Ai, Weiwei; Anthony Pins. Ai Weiwei: Spatial Matters : Art Architecture and Activism, 2014. Print. Ai Weiwei: spatial matters : art architecture and activism
External links
Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts London
Ai Weiwei at De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art
Ai Weiwei. Study of Perspective. Photographic series produced 1995–2011. Public Delivery
1957 births
Art Students League of New York alumni
Living people
Chinese contemporary artists
Chinese performance artists
Chinese architects
Chinese documentary film directors
Chinese bloggers
Chinese art critics
Chinese curators
People's Republic of China writers
Writers from Beijing
Beijing Film Academy alumni
Parsons School of Design alumni
Chinese dissidents
Chinese democracy activists
Charter 08 signatories
Artists from Beijing
Film directors from Beijing
Prisoners and detainees of the People's Republic of China
Weiquan movement
Chinese anti-communists
Victims of human rights abuses
Political artists
Articles containing video clips
Honorary Members of the Royal Academy
Sports venue architects
Chinese art collectors
People from the East Village, Manhattan
Chinese emigrants to Germany
Chinese emigrants to England
Enforced disappearances in China | true | [
"Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know is a 1999 reference book edited by Roy Gutman and David Rieff. The 352-page book contains more than 150 entries, and was published by W.W. Norton.\n\nThe book collects reporters' accounts of war crimes with essays by lawyers on international humanitarian law to examine war crimes and the laws of war. Contributors include Sydney Schanberg, William Shawcross, Christiane Amanpour, and Justice Richard Goldstone, the UN Tribunal's first prosecutor, who provides a foreword. Photographers featured include Gilles Peress and Annie Leibovitz. \n\nThe book is part of a comprehensive project started by Gutman which includes educational initiatives and additional articles. It has been published in 11 languages, including Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Serbo-Croatian and Chinese. A revised edition (2.0) with updated articles was published in October 2007 by W.W. Norton.\n\nReviews\n\"Crimes of War is fascinating and quite probably indispensable for anyone whose job it is to cover conflicts.\" --The Evening Standard\n\"A riveting mixture of reporters' accounts of war crimes in every continent, coupled with essays by lawyers on international humanitarian law.\" --The Guardian\n\nDetailed release information\nCrimes of War: What the Public Should Know, Gutman, Roy, and David Rieff. W. W. Norton & Company, New York City: 1999, (Pbk.)\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links\n Crimes of War Project\n Crimes of War - Educator's Guide\n Crimes of War Google eBooks\n\n1999 non-fiction books\nPolitical books\nW. W. Norton & Company books",
"Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in Our Free Country is a 1993 book by Peter McWilliams, in which he presents the history of legislation against what he feels are victimless crimes, or crimes that are committed consensually, as well as arguments for their legalization.\n\nThe book is divided into five sections.\nPart I gives a definition of victimless and consensual crime and outlines the difference between personal morality and governmentally-imposed morality.\nPart II presents arguments against the criminalization of victimless crimes.\nPart III gives a closer look into some of the individual activities which the author classifies as consensual crimes, such as prostitution and marijuana use, but which the majority of criminologists would classify as victimless.\nPart IV gives historical examples of the treatment of consensual and victimless crimes, such as Prohibition, and Biblical examples.\nPart V advises readers on what to do to change the laws.\nThroughout the book are approximately six hundred quotations by noted thinkers on both sides of his positions (primarily supporters).\n\nMcWilliams presents a variety of arguments against the criminalization of victimless crimes. Some are philosophical in nature: one argument is that laws against these crimes are based in religion, which violates the separation of church and state. He also claims that they are un-American, as they attempt to homogenize the country to a certain group's idea of morality, and that they create an oppressive society, restricting personal freedoms without justification. Another claim is that they teach irresponsibility, by not letting people deal with the natural consequences of their actions, but rather penalizing them whether or not their actions harmed anyone else.\n\nOther objections are practical: catching the \"criminals\" involved is an expensive affair. Victimless crimes draw manpower and funds away from crimes that do hurt innocent parties, and enforcement of the laws is not consistent enough to be an effective deterrent. He also argues that actions to help people deal with problems caused by these illegal activities are effectively prevented by their criminalization—for example, no one could be helped about their drinking problems during Prohibition. Additionally, he details how laws against victimless crimes paved the way for organized crime.\n\nActivities examined in detail in Part III include gambling, recreational drug use, medical marijuana, prostitution, homosexuality, pornography, indecent exposure, and seat belt legislation.\n\nUntil a few years after McWilliams's death, the text of this book (as well as McWilliams' other books) was available for free in its entirety through his archived web site; though all the books have been removed from that site in favor of links to online retail vendors, the texts have been archived in various formats by others.\n\nReferences\n\n1993 non-fiction books\nBooks by Peter McWilliams\nLibertarian books"
]
|
[
"Charles Kennedy",
"Resignation"
]
| C_ecdb91cf83384d938f5b8aa6a886ae26_0 | When did Kennedy resign? | 1 | When did Charles Kennedy resign? | Charles Kennedy | On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public. On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months. CANNOTANSWER | 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, | Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015.
Kennedy was elected to the House of Commons in 1983, and after the Alliance parties merged, became president of the Liberal Democrats and, following the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He led the party through two general elections, increasing its number of seats in the House of Commons to their highest level since 1923, and led his party's opposition to the Iraq War. A charismatic and affable speaker in public, he appeared extensively on television during his leadership.
During the latter stages of Kennedy's leadership, there was concern about both his leadership and his health. From December 2005, some within the party were openly questioning his position and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, he was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism; he pre-empted the broadcast by admitting that he had had treatment, and resigned as leader the following day. After Menzies Campbell succeeded him as leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP, where he voted against the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition. He died less than a month after being unseated from the House of Commons in 2015.
Early life
Kennedy was born on 25 November 1959 in the Scottish Highlands town of Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian Kennedy, and grew up in a remote crofter's cottage in the Highlands. He had a Roman Catholic upbringing, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Kennedy first became politically active at university, where he joined the SDP as well as the Dialectic Society. Between 1980 and 1981, Kennedy was President of the Glasgow University Union. He won the Observer Mace debating competition in 1982, speaking with Clark McGinn.
Upon graduation in 1982, Kennedy went to work for BBC Scotland as a journalist. He later received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States.
Early political career
At the age of 15 he joined the Labour Party, followed in 1981 by the newly formed Social Democratic Party. Two years later, Kennedy received the SDP nomination to stand for the Scottish seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye—then held by the Conservative Hamish Gray—at the 1983 general election. Kennedy won the seat with 13,528 votes (38.5%) and a majority of 1,704, unseating the incumbent Gray. He was, at the age of 23, the youngest sitting Member of Parliament at the time he was elected to the House of Commons. He served on the Social Services select committee from 1985 to 1987, retained his seat at the 1987 general election, and served on the Televising of Proceedings of the House select committee from 1987 to 1989.
He was the first of the five SDP MPs to support its merger with the Liberal Party (with which the SDP was co-operating in the SDP–Liberal Alliance) because of pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency. The parties merged in 1988, forming the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats; Kennedy was a proponent of the merge.
Kennedy moved into frontbench politics in 1989, becoming the party's spokesperson for health. After retaining his seat in the 1992 general election he served as the spokesperson for foreign and Commonwealth affairs during the 1992–97 parliament. He retained his seat in the 1997 general election and served on the Standards and Privileges select committee from 1997 to 1999.
He was president of the Liberal Democrats from 1990 to 1994, and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the office of the Leader of the House of Commons from 1997 to 1999.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats on 9 August 1999, following the retirement of Paddy Ashdown. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the alternative vote system, beating the runner-up Simon Hughes (43% of the transferred vote), Malcolm Bruce, Jackie Ballard and David Rendel. In October of the same year he was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
Kennedy's style of leadership was regarded as "conversational and companionable". He was labelled "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers as a result of his appearances on the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You.
In Kennedy's first campaign as leader, the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats won 52 seats with an 18.3% share of the vote; this was a 1.5% improvement in vote share (and an improvement of six seats) over the 1997 election, but smaller than the 25.4% vote share the SDP/Liberal Alliance had achieved in 1983, which won it 23 seats. Kennedy led his party's opposition to the Iraq War, with all Liberal Democrats voting against or abstaining in the vote for the invasion of Iraq—the largest British party to do so.
Health concerns
In July 2002, Jeremy Paxman publicly apologised after asking Kennedy about his drinking in a television interview. Reports emerged of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on the Iraq War and following the 2004 Budget along with linked rumours of a drinking problem which were strenuously denied at the time by both Kennedy and his party. The Times published an apology over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's Budget debate because of excessive drinking.
In April 2005, the launch of his party's manifesto for the 2005 general election was delayed because of the birth of his first child, with Menzies Campbell taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. At the manifesto launch, on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the Council Tax with a local income tax) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.
2005 general election
In his last general election as leader, in May 2005, he extended his strategy from the 2001 election of targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy. The Liberal Democrats also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting (particularly Muslim) Labour voters who were dissatisfied because of the invasion of Iraq, which Kennedy's party had opposed.
Just before the election, it had been anticipated by the media and opinion polls that the Liberal Democrats could win up to 100 seats and place themselves close to the Conservatives in terms of seats as well as votes. They won 62 seats and 22.1% of the vote, their greatest number of seats since their Liberal Party predecessor won 158 seats in 1923.
The Liberal Democrats made a net loss of five seats to the Conservatives, only managing to win three seats from them. While they were able to unseat Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins, they failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Shadow Secretary of State for the Family (later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) Theresa May and the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. The "decapitation" strategy was widely seen to have failed. They won twelve seats from Labour, but lost Leicester South. They succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, their first gain from the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.
Kennedy heralded the Liberal Democrats, who now had a total of 62 seats, as the "national party of the future", but in the wake of the general election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the Liberal Democrats could have surged forward, with the official opposition Conservative Party having been relatively weak. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the party's appeal. Others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, Donnachadh McCarthy, resigned, citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes.
Leadership concerns
Following the election of David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign. Speculation surrounding the leadership of the Liberal Democrats was widespread in late 2005, with the journalist Andrew Neil claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the BBC, which had broadcast it.
A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by The Liberal magazine (a publication with no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats); this allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005. A round-robin letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.
Resignation
On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.
The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing, and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999, and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.
On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat frontbench team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months.
Later political career
Backbencher
After resigning as party leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP. His first major political activity was to campaign in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking the seat from Labour.
On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down as party leader when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.
On 4 August 2006, he hosted a documentary on Channel 4 about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics because of their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to The Guardians Comment Is Free section.
After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, but he did not rule it out completely.
Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–2015)
At the 2010 general election, Kennedy was re-elected to parliament with a majority of 13,070.
Kennedy voted against the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010, explaining in an article for The Observer that he "did not subscribe to the view that remaining in opposition ourselves, while extending responsible 'Confidence and supply' requirements to a minority Conservative administration, was tantamount to a 'do nothing' response". Finally, Kennedy warned of the risks of "a subsequent assimilation within the Conservative fold", adding: "David Cameron has been here often before: from the early days of his leadership he was happy to describe himself as a 'liberal Conservative'. And we know he dislikes the term Tory. These ongoing efforts at appropriation are going to have to be watched".
The media reported on 21 August 2010 that Kennedy was about to defect from the Liberal Democrats to Labour in protest against his party's role in the coalition government's public spending cuts, but the Liberal Democrats were swift to deny these reports.
Kennedy played a role in the cross-party Better Together campaign, which was the pro-union campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. In March 2014, The Sunday Post reported that Kennedy had criticised Labour's strategy in the referendum campaign and said that Better Together needed to consider its legacy.
Kennedy lost his seat at the 2015 United Kingdom general election to Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, amid a nationwide loss of forty-nine seats for the Liberal Democrats.
Rector of University of Glasgow
In February 2008, Kennedy was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow and was officially installed, succeeding Mordechai Vanunu, on 10 April 2008. He won the election with a 46% share of the vote, supported by not only his own Glasgow University Union but also the Queen Margaret Union and Glasgow University Sports Association. He was re-elected in February 2011, defeating one other candidate, the writer A. L. Kennedy, by a clear margin. He served six years as rector until Edward Snowden was elected in February 2014.
Death
Kennedy died on the evening of 1 June 2015 at his home in Fort William at the age of 55. His death was announced in the early hours of the following day. The police described his death as "sudden and non-suspicious". Following a post-mortem his family announced that Kennedy had died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism.
A funeral mass was held on 12 June at his parish church, St John's Roman Catholic Church, in Caol near Fort William, and his body was buried at his family's cemetery at Clunes. A service of thanksgiving was held at the University of Glasgow on 18 June and it was announced that the university would be fundraising to name a teaching area in memory of him. A memorial service was held in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London, on 3 November.
Personal life
In July 2002, Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his friend James Gurling. They had a son, Donald, who was born in 2005. On 9 August 2010, it was announced that Kennedy and his wife were to separate, and their divorce was granted on 9 December 2010.
Kennedy's father Ian, to whom he was close, died in April 2015, just two months before his son's death. He had been a brewery worker but a lifelong teetotaller. Kennedy had chosen a recording of his father's fiddle playing when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
Electoral history
Bibliography
Works
The Future of Politics (2000) (hardcover) (paperback)
Biography
Hurst, Greg. Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw. Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006)
See also
List of deaths through alcohol
References
External links
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP official constituency website
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1959 births
2015 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Lochaber High School
People from Inverness
Presidents of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Rectors of the University of Glasgow
Scottish journalists
Anti–Iraq War activists
Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
Scottish Roman Catholics
Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for Scottish constituencies
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992
UK MPs 1992–1997
UK MPs 1997–2001
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom | true | [
"John Boyle Kennedy (died January 26, 1983 in Laconia, New Hampshire) was an American city manager and politician. He was City Manager of Medford, Massachusetts and Town Manager of Norwood, Massachusetts and Saugus, Massachusetts. He was a candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts in 1960.\n\nEarly life and career\nKennedy graduated from Winthrop High School in 1918 and went on to earn degrees from Wentworth Institute and Franklin Union Technical Institute. He also completed course in municipal government at Boston University.\n\nKennedy's career in municipal management began in Winthrop, Massachusetts, where he served as water commissioner and business manager. In 1949, he and seven other water superintendents agreed to form the Massachusetts Water Works Association, a corporation that would gather and disseminate information to insure an adequate supply of drinking water. Kennedy served as the corporation's first Secretary.\n\nNorwood Town Manager\nAfter ten years as water commissioner, Kennedy left Winthrop to become Town Manager of Norwood, Massachusetts. In 1954, after a series of assaults on women in town, which included the murder of 15-year-old Geraldine Annese, Kennedy declared a state of emergency.\n\nMedford City Manager\nFrom 1957 to 1958, Kennedy served as City Manager of Medford, Massachusetts. In January 1958, two members of the Medford City Council requested that Kennedy resign. City Councilor and Kennedy's predecessor as City Manager James Shurtleff told Kennedy that six of the seven members of the City Council would vote in favor of removing him if he chose not to resign. On January 29, he announced that he would not resign. On March 30, 1958 the City Council voted to suspend Kennedy, despite the fact that the crowd of over 400 was mostly pro-Kennedy. On April 8, the city council voted for to 4 to 3 to fire Kennedy, who the council accused of 19 charges, including being appointed unethically by the previous council, failing to \"provide executive leadership\", failing to \"show reasonable understanding of municipal finance\", and establishing an \"unsound\" tax rate.\n\nSaugus Town Manager\nIn May 1958, Kennedy was named Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts. He succeeded Daniel E. McLean, who resigned to become Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee.\n\nIn 1960, Kennedy ran for Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts. He finished third in the Democratic primary behind John T. Driscoll and Patrick F. McDonough.\n\nOn September 11, 1960, the Saugus Board of Selectmen requested Kennedy's resignation. Kennedy did not resign and at the next meeting, the Selectmen voted 4 to 1 to fire Kennedy. Kennedy's dismissal came one month after three new Selectmen were elected in a special recall election (all of whom voted to remove Kennedy). One of the reasons for firing Kennedy, according to Selectman Frederick Wagner, was the manager's decision to put curbing on the sidewalk in front of his Taylor Street home instead of on a sidewalk where children more frequently walked.\n\nLater life and death\nKennedy later worked for Whitman & Howard, an engineering firm located in Boston, until his retirement at the age of 70. He died on January 26, 1983 at the St. Francis Home for the Aged in Laconia, New Hampshire. He was 82 years old.\n\nReferences\n\n1983 deaths\nTown Managers of Saugus, Massachusetts\nMassachusetts Democrats\nPeople from Winthrop, Massachusetts\nPeople from Laconia, New Hampshire\nWentworth Institute of Technology alumni\nCity managers of Medford, Massachusetts\nMassachusetts city managers\nYear of birth missing",
"An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 22 September 2010.\n\nBackground\nFollowing poor results in the 2005 general election, the UUP held a leadership election, in which Reg Empey was successful. Empey formed an electoral coalition with the Conservative Party, but the UUP's only MP resigned from the party, and the coalition won no seats in the 2010 general election. Following the election, some party members urged him to remain leader but, on 15 May, Empey announced that he would resign in time for an election to be completed by the party's annual conference, in October or November. On 9 August 2010, it was announced that Empey would resign on 22 September 2010 and that the election would be held the same day. Nominations are due by 31 August 2010.\n\nPotential candidates\nIn May 2010, BBC News named five potential candidates for the leadership: Tom Elliott, Danny Kennedy, Basil McCrea, Michael McGimpsey and David McNarry.\n\nKennedy reportedly ruled himself out on 14 June 2010. Elliott announced on 22 June 2010 he would stand in the election, stating that he had a \"vision for a progressive party\". He was flanked by Kennedy, McNarry and McGimpsey when he announced, as well as by Mike Nesbitt and Assembly Chief Whip Fred Cobain. McCrea officially announced his intention to stand on 23 August 2010.\n\nPolicy divide\nOne of the most prominent issues in the leadership choice was relations with the other major unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party. While Kennedy repeatedly called for a pact or an alliance with the DUP, McCrea was strongly against it, claiming that such an alliance would only increase voter support for SF in the republican camp.\n\nElliott stated on 25 August 2010 that he was also opposed to a single Unionist party and that he would seek to reform the electoral link with the Conservative Party in order that candidates would stand as UUP and not Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force.\n\nResults\n\nReferences\n\n2010 elections in the United Kingdom\n2010\n2010 elections in Northern Ireland\nUlster Unionist Party leadership election"
]
|
[
"Charles Kennedy",
"Resignation",
"When did Kennedy resign?",
"7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference,"
]
| C_ecdb91cf83384d938f5b8aa6a886ae26_0 | What did he say at the press conference? | 2 | What did Charles Kennedy say at the press conference? | Charles Kennedy | On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public. On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months. CANNOTANSWER | he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader | Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015.
Kennedy was elected to the House of Commons in 1983, and after the Alliance parties merged, became president of the Liberal Democrats and, following the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He led the party through two general elections, increasing its number of seats in the House of Commons to their highest level since 1923, and led his party's opposition to the Iraq War. A charismatic and affable speaker in public, he appeared extensively on television during his leadership.
During the latter stages of Kennedy's leadership, there was concern about both his leadership and his health. From December 2005, some within the party were openly questioning his position and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, he was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism; he pre-empted the broadcast by admitting that he had had treatment, and resigned as leader the following day. After Menzies Campbell succeeded him as leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP, where he voted against the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition. He died less than a month after being unseated from the House of Commons in 2015.
Early life
Kennedy was born on 25 November 1959 in the Scottish Highlands town of Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian Kennedy, and grew up in a remote crofter's cottage in the Highlands. He had a Roman Catholic upbringing, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Kennedy first became politically active at university, where he joined the SDP as well as the Dialectic Society. Between 1980 and 1981, Kennedy was President of the Glasgow University Union. He won the Observer Mace debating competition in 1982, speaking with Clark McGinn.
Upon graduation in 1982, Kennedy went to work for BBC Scotland as a journalist. He later received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States.
Early political career
At the age of 15 he joined the Labour Party, followed in 1981 by the newly formed Social Democratic Party. Two years later, Kennedy received the SDP nomination to stand for the Scottish seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye—then held by the Conservative Hamish Gray—at the 1983 general election. Kennedy won the seat with 13,528 votes (38.5%) and a majority of 1,704, unseating the incumbent Gray. He was, at the age of 23, the youngest sitting Member of Parliament at the time he was elected to the House of Commons. He served on the Social Services select committee from 1985 to 1987, retained his seat at the 1987 general election, and served on the Televising of Proceedings of the House select committee from 1987 to 1989.
He was the first of the five SDP MPs to support its merger with the Liberal Party (with which the SDP was co-operating in the SDP–Liberal Alliance) because of pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency. The parties merged in 1988, forming the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats; Kennedy was a proponent of the merge.
Kennedy moved into frontbench politics in 1989, becoming the party's spokesperson for health. After retaining his seat in the 1992 general election he served as the spokesperson for foreign and Commonwealth affairs during the 1992–97 parliament. He retained his seat in the 1997 general election and served on the Standards and Privileges select committee from 1997 to 1999.
He was president of the Liberal Democrats from 1990 to 1994, and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the office of the Leader of the House of Commons from 1997 to 1999.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats on 9 August 1999, following the retirement of Paddy Ashdown. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the alternative vote system, beating the runner-up Simon Hughes (43% of the transferred vote), Malcolm Bruce, Jackie Ballard and David Rendel. In October of the same year he was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
Kennedy's style of leadership was regarded as "conversational and companionable". He was labelled "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers as a result of his appearances on the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You.
In Kennedy's first campaign as leader, the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats won 52 seats with an 18.3% share of the vote; this was a 1.5% improvement in vote share (and an improvement of six seats) over the 1997 election, but smaller than the 25.4% vote share the SDP/Liberal Alliance had achieved in 1983, which won it 23 seats. Kennedy led his party's opposition to the Iraq War, with all Liberal Democrats voting against or abstaining in the vote for the invasion of Iraq—the largest British party to do so.
Health concerns
In July 2002, Jeremy Paxman publicly apologised after asking Kennedy about his drinking in a television interview. Reports emerged of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on the Iraq War and following the 2004 Budget along with linked rumours of a drinking problem which were strenuously denied at the time by both Kennedy and his party. The Times published an apology over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's Budget debate because of excessive drinking.
In April 2005, the launch of his party's manifesto for the 2005 general election was delayed because of the birth of his first child, with Menzies Campbell taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. At the manifesto launch, on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the Council Tax with a local income tax) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.
2005 general election
In his last general election as leader, in May 2005, he extended his strategy from the 2001 election of targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy. The Liberal Democrats also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting (particularly Muslim) Labour voters who were dissatisfied because of the invasion of Iraq, which Kennedy's party had opposed.
Just before the election, it had been anticipated by the media and opinion polls that the Liberal Democrats could win up to 100 seats and place themselves close to the Conservatives in terms of seats as well as votes. They won 62 seats and 22.1% of the vote, their greatest number of seats since their Liberal Party predecessor won 158 seats in 1923.
The Liberal Democrats made a net loss of five seats to the Conservatives, only managing to win three seats from them. While they were able to unseat Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins, they failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Shadow Secretary of State for the Family (later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) Theresa May and the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. The "decapitation" strategy was widely seen to have failed. They won twelve seats from Labour, but lost Leicester South. They succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, their first gain from the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.
Kennedy heralded the Liberal Democrats, who now had a total of 62 seats, as the "national party of the future", but in the wake of the general election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the Liberal Democrats could have surged forward, with the official opposition Conservative Party having been relatively weak. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the party's appeal. Others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, Donnachadh McCarthy, resigned, citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes.
Leadership concerns
Following the election of David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign. Speculation surrounding the leadership of the Liberal Democrats was widespread in late 2005, with the journalist Andrew Neil claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the BBC, which had broadcast it.
A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by The Liberal magazine (a publication with no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats); this allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005. A round-robin letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.
Resignation
On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.
The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing, and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999, and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.
On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat frontbench team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months.
Later political career
Backbencher
After resigning as party leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP. His first major political activity was to campaign in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking the seat from Labour.
On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down as party leader when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.
On 4 August 2006, he hosted a documentary on Channel 4 about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics because of their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to The Guardians Comment Is Free section.
After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, but he did not rule it out completely.
Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–2015)
At the 2010 general election, Kennedy was re-elected to parliament with a majority of 13,070.
Kennedy voted against the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010, explaining in an article for The Observer that he "did not subscribe to the view that remaining in opposition ourselves, while extending responsible 'Confidence and supply' requirements to a minority Conservative administration, was tantamount to a 'do nothing' response". Finally, Kennedy warned of the risks of "a subsequent assimilation within the Conservative fold", adding: "David Cameron has been here often before: from the early days of his leadership he was happy to describe himself as a 'liberal Conservative'. And we know he dislikes the term Tory. These ongoing efforts at appropriation are going to have to be watched".
The media reported on 21 August 2010 that Kennedy was about to defect from the Liberal Democrats to Labour in protest against his party's role in the coalition government's public spending cuts, but the Liberal Democrats were swift to deny these reports.
Kennedy played a role in the cross-party Better Together campaign, which was the pro-union campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. In March 2014, The Sunday Post reported that Kennedy had criticised Labour's strategy in the referendum campaign and said that Better Together needed to consider its legacy.
Kennedy lost his seat at the 2015 United Kingdom general election to Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, amid a nationwide loss of forty-nine seats for the Liberal Democrats.
Rector of University of Glasgow
In February 2008, Kennedy was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow and was officially installed, succeeding Mordechai Vanunu, on 10 April 2008. He won the election with a 46% share of the vote, supported by not only his own Glasgow University Union but also the Queen Margaret Union and Glasgow University Sports Association. He was re-elected in February 2011, defeating one other candidate, the writer A. L. Kennedy, by a clear margin. He served six years as rector until Edward Snowden was elected in February 2014.
Death
Kennedy died on the evening of 1 June 2015 at his home in Fort William at the age of 55. His death was announced in the early hours of the following day. The police described his death as "sudden and non-suspicious". Following a post-mortem his family announced that Kennedy had died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism.
A funeral mass was held on 12 June at his parish church, St John's Roman Catholic Church, in Caol near Fort William, and his body was buried at his family's cemetery at Clunes. A service of thanksgiving was held at the University of Glasgow on 18 June and it was announced that the university would be fundraising to name a teaching area in memory of him. A memorial service was held in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London, on 3 November.
Personal life
In July 2002, Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his friend James Gurling. They had a son, Donald, who was born in 2005. On 9 August 2010, it was announced that Kennedy and his wife were to separate, and their divorce was granted on 9 December 2010.
Kennedy's father Ian, to whom he was close, died in April 2015, just two months before his son's death. He had been a brewery worker but a lifelong teetotaller. Kennedy had chosen a recording of his father's fiddle playing when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
Electoral history
Bibliography
Works
The Future of Politics (2000) (hardcover) (paperback)
Biography
Hurst, Greg. Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw. Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006)
See also
List of deaths through alcohol
References
External links
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP official constituency website
|-
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|-
|-
1959 births
2015 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Lochaber High School
People from Inverness
Presidents of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Rectors of the University of Glasgow
Scottish journalists
Anti–Iraq War activists
Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
Scottish Roman Catholics
Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for Scottish constituencies
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992
UK MPs 1992–1997
UK MPs 1997–2001
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom | true | [
"Martin Samuel (born 25 July 1964) is an English sports columnist for the Daily Mail newspaper and a sports columnist for GQ Magazine since 2012. He has previously worked for The Times, News of the World, Jewish Chronicle, Daily Express, The Sun and Sunday People. Samuel is an occasional guest on the Sunday Supplement television show.\n\nCareer \nSamuel began his career at Hayters news agency in London. He wrote for several national newspapers in the UK before he settled initially at The Times, where he was named Sports Writer of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2007, and Sports Journalist of the Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was also Sports Journalist of the Year at the 'What The Papers Say' awards in 2002, 2005 and 2006. He moved to the Daily Mail in 2008, replacing the paper's sports columnist, Paul Hayward, who was returning to The Guardian.\n\nDuring his time at the Daily Mail, Samuel was again named Sports Journalist of the Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards in 2010 and 2013, Sports Writer of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2013, and Sports Commentator of the Year at the Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards in 2014. In 2012, Samuel was named top in a UK Press Gazette poll of Britain's best sports journalists. In January 2015, he was named in Debrett's List of the 500 Most Influential People in Britain.\n\nSamuel ghostwrote Harry Redknapp's autobiography, Always Managing, published in 2013 and its follow-up, 'A Man Walks On To A Pitch', published a year later. He also wrote a book with Malcolm Macdonald, \"How To Score Goals\", published in 1985.\n\nAwards\nSports Writer of the Year, What the Papers Say awards (2002)\nSports Writer of the Year, What the Papers Say awards (2005)\nSports Writer of the Year, What the Papers Say awards (2006)\nSports Writer of the Year, Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain (2005)\nSports Writer of the Year, Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain (2006)\nSports Writer of the Year, Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain (2007)\nSports Journalist of the Year, Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain, 2010\nSports Journalist of the Year, Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain, 2013\nSports Journalist of the Year, British Press Awards (2008)\nSports Journalist of the Year, British Press Awards (2013)\nSports Commentator of the Year at the Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards in 2014\n\nReferences\n\nExternal links \n Martin Samuel - Daily Mail articles\n\nLiving people\nBritish sportswriters\nBritish Jews\nPlace of birth missing (living people)\nDaily Mail journalists\n1964 births",
"The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 (E3 2011) was the 17th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 7, 2011, and ended on June 9, 2011, with 46,800 total attendees. E3 2011 was broadcast on the G4 channel.\n\nThe main highlights of the 2011 show included a demonstration of Sony's next-generation handheld game console, the PlayStation Vita; the official introduction of Nintendo's Wii U home console; and the unveiling of Microsoft's long-awaited game, Halo 4.\n\nPress conferences\n\nAs in previous years, the conference was dominated by announcements from the three main console manufacturers: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Tech analysts considered the unveiling of Nintendo's Wii U and its then-unnamed tablet controller to be E3's biggest event, with Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld console also generating considerable press attention. The Wii U system was credited by several media outlets as a \"next-generation\" console. Microsoft did not announce any major hardware releases, but did showcase a number of games for its Kinect controller-free gaming system.\n\nKonami\nKonami held its own pre-E3 event on June 2 to showcase its upcoming games. The showcase featured live events in a number of cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, São Paulo, and Mexico City.\n\nMicrosoft\nMicrosoft's press conference took place on June 6 at 9:00am. It focused on the Xbox 360; it was titled the \"Xbox 360 E311 Media Briefing\" event. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was shown during Microsoft's press conference.\n\nElectronic Arts\nElectronic Arts took the stage on June 6 at 12:30pm.\n\nUbisoft\nUbisoft held a press conference on June 6 at 2:30pm.\n\nSony\nSony's press conference took place on June 6 at 5:00pm. However, the conference was delayed for 16 minutes. The press conference focused on the company's upcoming device, PlayStation Vita, and the PlayStation 3.\n\nNintendo\nNintendo's press conference took place on June 7 at 9:00am at the Nokia Theatre. Nintendo unveiled the successor to its Wii console, the Wii U, which was released in 2012. A prototype of the console was playable to attendees of the event.\n\nList of featured games\nThis is a list of notable titles that appeared at E3 2011.\n\nList of notable exhibitors\nThis is a list of major video game exhibitors who made appearances at E3 2011.\n\nReferences\n\n2011 in Los Angeles\n2011 in video gaming\n2011\nJune 2011 events in the United States"
]
|
[
"Charles Kennedy",
"Resignation",
"When did Kennedy resign?",
"7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference,",
"What did he say at the press conference?",
"he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader"
]
| C_ecdb91cf83384d938f5b8aa6a886ae26_0 | What did he do after he resigned? | 3 | What did Charles Kennedy do after he resigned? | Charles Kennedy | On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public. On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months. CANNOTANSWER | He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. | Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015.
Kennedy was elected to the House of Commons in 1983, and after the Alliance parties merged, became president of the Liberal Democrats and, following the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He led the party through two general elections, increasing its number of seats in the House of Commons to their highest level since 1923, and led his party's opposition to the Iraq War. A charismatic and affable speaker in public, he appeared extensively on television during his leadership.
During the latter stages of Kennedy's leadership, there was concern about both his leadership and his health. From December 2005, some within the party were openly questioning his position and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, he was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism; he pre-empted the broadcast by admitting that he had had treatment, and resigned as leader the following day. After Menzies Campbell succeeded him as leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP, where he voted against the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition. He died less than a month after being unseated from the House of Commons in 2015.
Early life
Kennedy was born on 25 November 1959 in the Scottish Highlands town of Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian Kennedy, and grew up in a remote crofter's cottage in the Highlands. He had a Roman Catholic upbringing, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Kennedy first became politically active at university, where he joined the SDP as well as the Dialectic Society. Between 1980 and 1981, Kennedy was President of the Glasgow University Union. He won the Observer Mace debating competition in 1982, speaking with Clark McGinn.
Upon graduation in 1982, Kennedy went to work for BBC Scotland as a journalist. He later received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States.
Early political career
At the age of 15 he joined the Labour Party, followed in 1981 by the newly formed Social Democratic Party. Two years later, Kennedy received the SDP nomination to stand for the Scottish seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye—then held by the Conservative Hamish Gray—at the 1983 general election. Kennedy won the seat with 13,528 votes (38.5%) and a majority of 1,704, unseating the incumbent Gray. He was, at the age of 23, the youngest sitting Member of Parliament at the time he was elected to the House of Commons. He served on the Social Services select committee from 1985 to 1987, retained his seat at the 1987 general election, and served on the Televising of Proceedings of the House select committee from 1987 to 1989.
He was the first of the five SDP MPs to support its merger with the Liberal Party (with which the SDP was co-operating in the SDP–Liberal Alliance) because of pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency. The parties merged in 1988, forming the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats; Kennedy was a proponent of the merge.
Kennedy moved into frontbench politics in 1989, becoming the party's spokesperson for health. After retaining his seat in the 1992 general election he served as the spokesperson for foreign and Commonwealth affairs during the 1992–97 parliament. He retained his seat in the 1997 general election and served on the Standards and Privileges select committee from 1997 to 1999.
He was president of the Liberal Democrats from 1990 to 1994, and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the office of the Leader of the House of Commons from 1997 to 1999.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats on 9 August 1999, following the retirement of Paddy Ashdown. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the alternative vote system, beating the runner-up Simon Hughes (43% of the transferred vote), Malcolm Bruce, Jackie Ballard and David Rendel. In October of the same year he was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
Kennedy's style of leadership was regarded as "conversational and companionable". He was labelled "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers as a result of his appearances on the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You.
In Kennedy's first campaign as leader, the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats won 52 seats with an 18.3% share of the vote; this was a 1.5% improvement in vote share (and an improvement of six seats) over the 1997 election, but smaller than the 25.4% vote share the SDP/Liberal Alliance had achieved in 1983, which won it 23 seats. Kennedy led his party's opposition to the Iraq War, with all Liberal Democrats voting against or abstaining in the vote for the invasion of Iraq—the largest British party to do so.
Health concerns
In July 2002, Jeremy Paxman publicly apologised after asking Kennedy about his drinking in a television interview. Reports emerged of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on the Iraq War and following the 2004 Budget along with linked rumours of a drinking problem which were strenuously denied at the time by both Kennedy and his party. The Times published an apology over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's Budget debate because of excessive drinking.
In April 2005, the launch of his party's manifesto for the 2005 general election was delayed because of the birth of his first child, with Menzies Campbell taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. At the manifesto launch, on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the Council Tax with a local income tax) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.
2005 general election
In his last general election as leader, in May 2005, he extended his strategy from the 2001 election of targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy. The Liberal Democrats also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting (particularly Muslim) Labour voters who were dissatisfied because of the invasion of Iraq, which Kennedy's party had opposed.
Just before the election, it had been anticipated by the media and opinion polls that the Liberal Democrats could win up to 100 seats and place themselves close to the Conservatives in terms of seats as well as votes. They won 62 seats and 22.1% of the vote, their greatest number of seats since their Liberal Party predecessor won 158 seats in 1923.
The Liberal Democrats made a net loss of five seats to the Conservatives, only managing to win three seats from them. While they were able to unseat Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins, they failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Shadow Secretary of State for the Family (later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) Theresa May and the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. The "decapitation" strategy was widely seen to have failed. They won twelve seats from Labour, but lost Leicester South. They succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, their first gain from the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.
Kennedy heralded the Liberal Democrats, who now had a total of 62 seats, as the "national party of the future", but in the wake of the general election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the Liberal Democrats could have surged forward, with the official opposition Conservative Party having been relatively weak. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the party's appeal. Others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, Donnachadh McCarthy, resigned, citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes.
Leadership concerns
Following the election of David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign. Speculation surrounding the leadership of the Liberal Democrats was widespread in late 2005, with the journalist Andrew Neil claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the BBC, which had broadcast it.
A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by The Liberal magazine (a publication with no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats); this allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005. A round-robin letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.
Resignation
On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.
The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing, and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999, and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.
On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat frontbench team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months.
Later political career
Backbencher
After resigning as party leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP. His first major political activity was to campaign in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking the seat from Labour.
On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down as party leader when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.
On 4 August 2006, he hosted a documentary on Channel 4 about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics because of their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to The Guardians Comment Is Free section.
After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, but he did not rule it out completely.
Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–2015)
At the 2010 general election, Kennedy was re-elected to parliament with a majority of 13,070.
Kennedy voted against the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010, explaining in an article for The Observer that he "did not subscribe to the view that remaining in opposition ourselves, while extending responsible 'Confidence and supply' requirements to a minority Conservative administration, was tantamount to a 'do nothing' response". Finally, Kennedy warned of the risks of "a subsequent assimilation within the Conservative fold", adding: "David Cameron has been here often before: from the early days of his leadership he was happy to describe himself as a 'liberal Conservative'. And we know he dislikes the term Tory. These ongoing efforts at appropriation are going to have to be watched".
The media reported on 21 August 2010 that Kennedy was about to defect from the Liberal Democrats to Labour in protest against his party's role in the coalition government's public spending cuts, but the Liberal Democrats were swift to deny these reports.
Kennedy played a role in the cross-party Better Together campaign, which was the pro-union campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. In March 2014, The Sunday Post reported that Kennedy had criticised Labour's strategy in the referendum campaign and said that Better Together needed to consider its legacy.
Kennedy lost his seat at the 2015 United Kingdom general election to Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, amid a nationwide loss of forty-nine seats for the Liberal Democrats.
Rector of University of Glasgow
In February 2008, Kennedy was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow and was officially installed, succeeding Mordechai Vanunu, on 10 April 2008. He won the election with a 46% share of the vote, supported by not only his own Glasgow University Union but also the Queen Margaret Union and Glasgow University Sports Association. He was re-elected in February 2011, defeating one other candidate, the writer A. L. Kennedy, by a clear margin. He served six years as rector until Edward Snowden was elected in February 2014.
Death
Kennedy died on the evening of 1 June 2015 at his home in Fort William at the age of 55. His death was announced in the early hours of the following day. The police described his death as "sudden and non-suspicious". Following a post-mortem his family announced that Kennedy had died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism.
A funeral mass was held on 12 June at his parish church, St John's Roman Catholic Church, in Caol near Fort William, and his body was buried at his family's cemetery at Clunes. A service of thanksgiving was held at the University of Glasgow on 18 June and it was announced that the university would be fundraising to name a teaching area in memory of him. A memorial service was held in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London, on 3 November.
Personal life
In July 2002, Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his friend James Gurling. They had a son, Donald, who was born in 2005. On 9 August 2010, it was announced that Kennedy and his wife were to separate, and their divorce was granted on 9 December 2010.
Kennedy's father Ian, to whom he was close, died in April 2015, just two months before his son's death. He had been a brewery worker but a lifelong teetotaller. Kennedy had chosen a recording of his father's fiddle playing when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
Electoral history
Bibliography
Works
The Future of Politics (2000) (hardcover) (paperback)
Biography
Hurst, Greg. Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw. Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006)
See also
List of deaths through alcohol
References
External links
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP official constituency website
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1959 births
2015 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Lochaber High School
People from Inverness
Presidents of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Rectors of the University of Glasgow
Scottish journalists
Anti–Iraq War activists
Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
Scottish Roman Catholics
Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for Scottish constituencies
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992
UK MPs 1992–1997
UK MPs 1997–2001
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom | true | [
"\"What Did I Do to You?\" is a song recorded by British singer Lisa Stansfield for her 1989 album, Affection. It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. The song was released as the fourth European single on 30 April 1990. It included three previously unreleased songs written by Stansfield, Devaney and Morris: \"My Apple Heart,\" \"Lay Me Down\" and \"Something's Happenin'.\" \"What Did I Do to You?\" was remixed by Mark Saunders and by the Grammy Award-winning American house music DJ and producer, David Morales. The single became a top forty hit in the European countries reaching number eighteen in Finland, number twenty in Ireland and number twenty-five in the United Kingdom. \"What Did I Do to You?\" was also released in Japan.\n\nIn 2014, the remixes of \"What Did I Do to You?\" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of Affection and on People Hold On ... The Remix Anthology. They were also featured on The Collection 1989–2003 box set (2014), including previously unreleased Red Zone Mix by David Morales.\n\nCritical reception\nThe song received positive reviews from music critics. Matthew Hocter from Albumism viewed it as a \"upbeat offering\". David Giles from Music Week said it is \"beautifully performed\" by Stansfield. A reviewer from Reading Eagle wrote that \"What Did I Do to You?\" \"would be right at home on the \"Saturday Night Fever\" soundtrack.\"\n\nMusic video\nA music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Philip Richardson, who had previously directed the videos for \"All Around the World\" and \"Live Together\". It features Stansfield with her kiss curls, dressed in a white outfit and performing with her band on a stage in front of a jumping audience. The video was later published on Stansfield's official YouTube channel in November 2009. It has amassed more than 1,6 million views as of October 2021.\n\nTrack listings\n\n European/UK 7\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix Edit) – 4:20\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n European/UK/Japanese CD single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix Edit) – 4:20\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 5:19\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 4:17\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n UK 10\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Mark Saunders Remix) – 5:52\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 5:19\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 4:17\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:59\n\n European/UK 12\" single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Morales Mix) – 7:59\n\"My Apple Heart\" – 4:22\n\"Lay Me Down\" – 3:19\n\"Something's Happenin'\" – 3:15\n\n UK 12\" promotional single\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Morales Mix) – 7:59\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Anti Poll Tax Dub) – 6:31\n\n Other remixes\n\"What Did I Do to You?\" (Red Zone Mix) – 7:45\n\nCharts\n\nReferences\n\nLisa Stansfield songs\n1990 singles\nSongs written by Lisa Stansfield\n1989 songs\nArista Records singles\nSongs written by Ian Devaney\nSongs written by Andy Morris (musician)",
"The Roman Catholic Diocese of Caratinga () is a diocese located in the city of Caratinga in the Ecclesiastical province of Mariana in Brazil.\n\nHistory\n 15 December 1915: Established as Diocese of Caratinga from the Diocese of Amazonas\n\nBishops\n Bishops of Caratinga (Roman rite)\nJoaquim Mamede da Silva Leite † (28 June 1918), did not take effect\nManuel Nogueira Duarte † (4 April 1918), did not take effect\nCarloto Fernandes da Silva Távora † (18 December 1919 - 29 November 1933) Died\nJosé Maria Parreira Lara † (28 September 1934 - 8 August 1936) Died\nJoão Batista Cavati, C.M. † (30 July 1938 - 20 October 1956) Resigned\nJosé Eugênio Corrêa † (19 August 1957 - 27 November 1978) Resigned\nHélio Gonçalves Heleno † (27 November 1978 - 16 February 2011) Resigned\nEmanuel Messias de Oliveira (16 February 2011 – present)\n\nOther priests of this diocese who became bishops\nOdilon Guimarães Moreira, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Vitória, Espirito Santo in 1999\nPaulo Mendes Peixoto, appointed Bishop of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo in 2005\nJosé Moreira Bastos Neto, appointed Bishop of Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul in 2009\n\nReferences\n GCatholic.org\n Catholic Hierarchy\n\nRoman Catholic dioceses in Brazil\nChristian organizations established in 1915\nCaratinga, Roman Catholic Diocese of\nRoman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century"
]
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[
"Charles Kennedy",
"Resignation",
"When did Kennedy resign?",
"7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference,",
"What did he say at the press conference?",
"he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader",
"What did he do after he resigned?",
"He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics."
]
| C_ecdb91cf83384d938f5b8aa6a886ae26_0 | Did he continue to stay in politics? | 4 | Did Charles Kennedy continue to stay in politics? | Charles Kennedy | On 6 January 2006 Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew. The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999 and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public. On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the Parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months. CANNOTANSWER | Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. | Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015.
Kennedy was elected to the House of Commons in 1983, and after the Alliance parties merged, became president of the Liberal Democrats and, following the resignation of Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He led the party through two general elections, increasing its number of seats in the House of Commons to their highest level since 1923, and led his party's opposition to the Iraq War. A charismatic and affable speaker in public, he appeared extensively on television during his leadership.
During the latter stages of Kennedy's leadership, there was concern about both his leadership and his health. From December 2005, some within the party were openly questioning his position and calling for a leadership election. On 5 January 2006, he was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for alcoholism; he pre-empted the broadcast by admitting that he had had treatment, and resigned as leader the following day. After Menzies Campbell succeeded him as leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP, where he voted against the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition. He died less than a month after being unseated from the House of Commons in 2015.
Early life
Kennedy was born on 25 November 1959 in the Scottish Highlands town of Inverness, the son of Mary and Ian Kennedy, and grew up in a remote crofter's cottage in the Highlands. He had a Roman Catholic upbringing, and was educated at Lochaber High School in Fort William. He went on to study for a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Kennedy first became politically active at university, where he joined the SDP as well as the Dialectic Society. Between 1980 and 1981, Kennedy was President of the Glasgow University Union. He won the Observer Mace debating competition in 1982, speaking with Clark McGinn.
Upon graduation in 1982, Kennedy went to work for BBC Scotland as a journalist. He later received a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to carry out research at Indiana University in the United States.
Early political career
At the age of 15 he joined the Labour Party, followed in 1981 by the newly formed Social Democratic Party. Two years later, Kennedy received the SDP nomination to stand for the Scottish seat of Ross, Cromarty and Skye—then held by the Conservative Hamish Gray—at the 1983 general election. Kennedy won the seat with 13,528 votes (38.5%) and a majority of 1,704, unseating the incumbent Gray. He was, at the age of 23, the youngest sitting Member of Parliament at the time he was elected to the House of Commons. He served on the Social Services select committee from 1985 to 1987, retained his seat at the 1987 general election, and served on the Televising of Proceedings of the House select committee from 1987 to 1989.
He was the first of the five SDP MPs to support its merger with the Liberal Party (with which the SDP was co-operating in the SDP–Liberal Alliance) because of pressure from Liberal activists in his constituency. The parties merged in 1988, forming the Social and Liberal Democratic Party, later renamed the Liberal Democrats; Kennedy was a proponent of the merge.
Kennedy moved into frontbench politics in 1989, becoming the party's spokesperson for health. After retaining his seat in the 1992 general election he served as the spokesperson for foreign and Commonwealth affairs during the 1992–97 parliament. He retained his seat in the 1997 general election and served on the Standards and Privileges select committee from 1997 to 1999.
He was president of the Liberal Democrats from 1990 to 1994, and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the office of the Leader of the House of Commons from 1997 to 1999.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Kennedy was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats on 9 August 1999, following the retirement of Paddy Ashdown. He won 57% of the transferred vote under the alternative vote system, beating the runner-up Simon Hughes (43% of the transferred vote), Malcolm Bruce, Jackie Ballard and David Rendel. In October of the same year he was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
Kennedy's style of leadership was regarded as "conversational and companionable". He was labelled "Chatshow Charlie" by some observers as a result of his appearances on the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You.
In Kennedy's first campaign as leader, the 2001 general election, the Liberal Democrats won 52 seats with an 18.3% share of the vote; this was a 1.5% improvement in vote share (and an improvement of six seats) over the 1997 election, but smaller than the 25.4% vote share the SDP/Liberal Alliance had achieved in 1983, which won it 23 seats. Kennedy led his party's opposition to the Iraq War, with all Liberal Democrats voting against or abstaining in the vote for the invasion of Iraq—the largest British party to do so.
Health concerns
In July 2002, Jeremy Paxman publicly apologised after asking Kennedy about his drinking in a television interview. Reports emerged of Kennedy's ill-health in 2003 at the time of crucial debates on the Iraq War and following the 2004 Budget along with linked rumours of a drinking problem which were strenuously denied at the time by both Kennedy and his party. The Times published an apology over a report it had made stating Kennedy had not taken part in that year's Budget debate because of excessive drinking.
In April 2005, the launch of his party's manifesto for the 2005 general election was delayed because of the birth of his first child, with Menzies Campbell taking temporary charge as acting leader and covering Kennedy's campaign duties. At the manifesto launch, on his first day back on the campaign trail after the birth, Kennedy struggled to remember the details of a key policy (replacing the Council Tax with a local income tax) at an early morning press conference, which he later blamed on a lack of sleep due to his new child.
2005 general election
In his last general election as leader, in May 2005, he extended his strategy from the 2001 election of targeting the seats held by the most senior and/or highly regarded Conservative MPs, dubbed a "decapitation" strategy. The Liberal Democrats also hoped to capture marginal Labour seats, attracting (particularly Muslim) Labour voters who were dissatisfied because of the invasion of Iraq, which Kennedy's party had opposed.
Just before the election, it had been anticipated by the media and opinion polls that the Liberal Democrats could win up to 100 seats and place themselves close to the Conservatives in terms of seats as well as votes. They won 62 seats and 22.1% of the vote, their greatest number of seats since their Liberal Party predecessor won 158 seats in 1923.
The Liberal Democrats made a net loss of five seats to the Conservatives, only managing to win three seats from them. While they were able to unseat Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins, they failed to unseat leading Conservatives such as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, Shadow Secretary of State for the Family (later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) Theresa May and the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. The "decapitation" strategy was widely seen to have failed. They won twelve seats from Labour, but lost Leicester South. They succeeded in regaining the seat of Ceredigion, their first gain from the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.
Kennedy heralded the Liberal Democrats, who now had a total of 62 seats, as the "national party of the future", but in the wake of the general election, Kennedy's leadership came under increased criticism from those who felt that the Liberal Democrats could have surged forward, with the official opposition Conservative Party having been relatively weak. Many pointed the finger of blame at Kennedy for failing to widen the party's appeal. Others, like the former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Liberal Democrat Party, Donnachadh McCarthy, resigned, citing the party's shift to the right of the political spectrum under Kennedy in pursuit of Conservative votes.
Leadership concerns
Following the election of David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, it was widely reported that senior members of the Liberal Democrats had told Kennedy that he must either "raise his game" or resign. Speculation surrounding the leadership of the Liberal Democrats was widespread in late 2005, with the journalist Andrew Neil claiming to speak "on good authority" that Kennedy would announce his resignation at the 2006 spring conference of the Liberal Democrats. Kennedy's spokeswoman denied the report and complained against the BBC, which had broadcast it.
A "Kennedy Must Go" petition was started by The Liberal magazine (a publication with no affiliation to the Liberal Democrats); this allegedly had been signed by over 3,300 party members including 386 local councillors and two MPs by the end of 2005. A round-robin letter signed by Liberal Democrat MPs rejecting his leadership received 23 signatures.
Resignation
On 6 January 2006, Kennedy was informed that ITN would be reporting that he had received treatment for a drinking problem. He decided to pre-empt the broadcast, called a sudden news conference, and made a personal statement that over the past eighteen months he had been coming to terms with a drinking problem, but had sought professional help. He told reporters that recent questions among his colleagues about his suitability as leader were partly as a result of the drinking problem but stated that he had been dry for the past two months and would be calling a leadership contest, in which he would stand, to resolve the issues surrounding his authority once and for all. It was later claimed that the source for ITN's story was his former press secretary turned ITV News correspondent, Daisy McAndrew.
The admission of a drinking problem seriously damaged his standing, and 25 MPs signed a statement urging him to resign immediately. It was later claimed in a biography of Kennedy by the journalist Greg Hurst that senior Liberal Democrats had known about Kennedy's drinking problem when he was elected as leader in 1999, and had subsequently kept it hidden from the public.
On 7 January 2006, Kennedy called another press conference, at which he announced that while he was buoyed by the supportive messages he had received from grass root members, he felt that he could not continue as leader because of the lack of confidence from the parliamentary party. He said he would not be a candidate in the leadership election and was standing down as leader "with immediate effect", with Menzies Campbell to act as interim leader until a new leader was elected. He also confirmed in his resignation statement that he did not expect to remain on the Liberal Democrat frontbench team. He pledged his loyalty to a new leader as a backbencher, and said he wished to remain active in the party and in politics. Campbell went on to win the resulting leadership election, and Kennedy subsequently gave his successor full public support. His leadership had lasted slightly less than six years and five months.
Later political career
Backbencher
After resigning as party leader, Kennedy remained in office as a backbench MP. His first major political activity was to campaign in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, which the Liberal Democrats went on to win, taking the seat from Labour.
On 22 June 2006, Kennedy made his first appearance in the national media after stepping down as party leader when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. One of the questions on the show was about his possible return as leader, which he declined to rule out.
On 4 August 2006, he hosted a documentary on Channel 4 about what he saw as the increasing disenchantment felt by voters towards the main parties in British politics because of their hesitation to discuss the big issues, especially at election time, and the ruthless targeting of swing-voters in key constituencies at the expense of the majority. He also contributed an article covering the same issues to The Guardians Comment Is Free section.
After Campbell resigned as Liberal Democrat leader on 15 October 2007, Kennedy said that it was "highly unlikely" that he would try to return as party leader, but he did not rule it out completely.
Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–2015)
At the 2010 general election, Kennedy was re-elected to parliament with a majority of 13,070.
Kennedy voted against the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010, explaining in an article for The Observer that he "did not subscribe to the view that remaining in opposition ourselves, while extending responsible 'Confidence and supply' requirements to a minority Conservative administration, was tantamount to a 'do nothing' response". Finally, Kennedy warned of the risks of "a subsequent assimilation within the Conservative fold", adding: "David Cameron has been here often before: from the early days of his leadership he was happy to describe himself as a 'liberal Conservative'. And we know he dislikes the term Tory. These ongoing efforts at appropriation are going to have to be watched".
The media reported on 21 August 2010 that Kennedy was about to defect from the Liberal Democrats to Labour in protest against his party's role in the coalition government's public spending cuts, but the Liberal Democrats were swift to deny these reports.
Kennedy played a role in the cross-party Better Together campaign, which was the pro-union campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. In March 2014, The Sunday Post reported that Kennedy had criticised Labour's strategy in the referendum campaign and said that Better Together needed to consider its legacy.
Kennedy lost his seat at the 2015 United Kingdom general election to Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, amid a nationwide loss of forty-nine seats for the Liberal Democrats.
Rector of University of Glasgow
In February 2008, Kennedy was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow and was officially installed, succeeding Mordechai Vanunu, on 10 April 2008. He won the election with a 46% share of the vote, supported by not only his own Glasgow University Union but also the Queen Margaret Union and Glasgow University Sports Association. He was re-elected in February 2011, defeating one other candidate, the writer A. L. Kennedy, by a clear margin. He served six years as rector until Edward Snowden was elected in February 2014.
Death
Kennedy died on the evening of 1 June 2015 at his home in Fort William at the age of 55. His death was announced in the early hours of the following day. The police described his death as "sudden and non-suspicious". Following a post-mortem his family announced that Kennedy had died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism.
A funeral mass was held on 12 June at his parish church, St John's Roman Catholic Church, in Caol near Fort William, and his body was buried at his family's cemetery at Clunes. A service of thanksgiving was held at the University of Glasgow on 18 June and it was announced that the university would be fundraising to name a teaching area in memory of him. A memorial service was held in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, London, on 3 November.
Personal life
In July 2002, Kennedy married Sarah Gurling, the sister of his friend James Gurling. They had a son, Donald, who was born in 2005. On 9 August 2010, it was announced that Kennedy and his wife were to separate, and their divorce was granted on 9 December 2010.
Kennedy's father Ian, to whom he was close, died in April 2015, just two months before his son's death. He had been a brewery worker but a lifelong teetotaller. Kennedy had chosen a recording of his father's fiddle playing when he appeared on Desert Island Discs.
Electoral history
Bibliography
Works
The Future of Politics (2000) (hardcover) (paperback)
Biography
Hurst, Greg. Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw. Politico's Publishing Ltd (18 September 2006)
See also
List of deaths through alcohol
References
External links
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP official constituency website
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1959 births
2015 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Leaders of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Lochaber High School
People from Inverness
Presidents of the Liberal Democrats (UK)
Rectors of the University of Glasgow
Scottish journalists
Anti–Iraq War activists
Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs
Scottish Roman Catholics
Social Democratic Party (UK) MPs for Scottish constituencies
UK MPs 1983–1987
UK MPs 1987–1992
UK MPs 1992–1997
UK MPs 1997–2001
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom | true | [
"Joseph Gao Hongxiao (; born 1945) is a Chinese Catholic priest and Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaifeng since 2007.\n\nBiography\nGao Hongxiao became a Catholic priest within the Franciscans, and served in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fengxiang of Shaanxi Province. On October 27, 2000, another pastor, Antonius Zong Changfeng of Zhouzhi (also in Shaanxi), was ordained a coadjutor bishop of Kaifeng, but as the Communist government objected, he did not move to Kaifeng. Thus, he had to continue to work, as if he were a regular priest in Zhouzhi. Since he belonged to the underground church, he also had to stay hidden from time to time. Gao also had to stay hidden. On September 23, 2007, John Baptist Liang Xisheng, died at the age of 84, and Gao automatically became the Bishop.\n\nReferences\n\n1945 births\nLiving people\n21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in China",
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